25 March 2006:

Exodus 7:1-10:28

Please take the time to read the above lesson.

We are now entering the fight between Moshe and his brother Aaron against Pharaoh for the children of Israel. More properly we are entering the fight between YHWH and Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s world system or Kosmos. Do not think that any of these plagues were accidents. Each one was aimed at a specific aspect of Egyptian religion. YHWH is not only demonstrating to the Egyptians that He is God, but he is demonstrating to the children of Israel that He is God.

Let us look at the first plague. The Nile is turned into blood. It is important that we realise what the Nile meant to the people of Egypt. Every year the Nile flooded, and that flooding would leave a rich layer of alluvial soil which made Egypt different from many other nations. Egypt had rich crops of a variety that would have been the envy of any other civilisation. That the flooding was caused by the melting of snow off the mountains was a mystery to the people of Egypt and they attributed the flooding to the gods, and in fact at several times in their history worshipped the Nile as a god. In addition, the Nile provided an abundance of fish for all, and was the main source of transportation for the country. Ninety percent of the population lived less than ten miles from the Nile. When the Nile turned to blood, God demonstrated that he was mightier than the Nile and had the entire Egyptian economy in his hands, and I am quite sure terrified the people of Egypt.

The second plague was frogs. Frog gods were said to accompany the god of the Nile as he came down the river in the floods. Frogs were associated with fertility, and there were several frog or frog headed gods: Heket, Ogdoad-heh, , Hek, Nun, Amun, and Heka, the last maybe most important as she was the goddess of magic. When YHWH used the Egyptians own frogs against them, he was demonstrating that he was superior to the powers of Egypt.

The third plague was lice. While I cannot link these in any way to Egyptian mythology, the magicians themselves tell Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God,” in other words something beyond their powers and beyond their Gods.

The following plague is probably gnats, which after the lice certainly made life miserable. We note at this point the magicians have given up and no longer try to imitate Moshe.

The next plague was death of livestock. We note in passing that there were three Egyptian bulls that were considered incarnations of gods, and at least one cow goddess, so once again the Lord is demonstrating his superiority to Egyptian gods. (We might remember that Moses told Egypt the Hebrew sacrifices would be abhorrent to the Egyptians, the Egyptians did not sacrifice cows or any thing they worshipped, but sacrificed wine and bread. Mummies of animals that had died naturally were also given to the Gods.)

God by this time has proved he is Lord over all these false Gods and Lords, and the next few plagues demonstrate his Lordship over mankind and nature. The next plague is of sores which leave the people miserable, but just as miraculously they are healed. The following plague truly demonstrated YHWH’s supernatural power, burning hail. By this time, some Egyptians are beginning to believe in the Lord, and bring their livestock and slaves in to protect them. Next we have the plague of locusts which destroys what the hail had not (it is noted that the wheat and buckwheat were not destroyed by the hail because they had not yet come up. YHWH, blessed be his name is truly God of nature.

The last plague we will consider for today is darkness. YHWH is getting up close and personal here. Ra or Re, the Sund God, is considered the chief of the Egyptian Gods. Pharaoh is a manifestation of Horus, the son of Ra, a God of the power of the Sun. The plague of darkness proves YHWH superior to Ra or Horus or to the supposed supernatural powers of the Pharaoh.

But these manifestations are not only to demonstrate to the Pharaoh that YHWH is true God, but to the Hebrew people themselves. As Dr. Tony Evans has said, “The problem is not just to get the people out of Egypt, but to get Egypt out of the people.” The Hebrews had lived for close to four centuries in Egypt, among a people whose god blessed them in abundance, especially with the mysterious yearly Nile floods. The people had to learn freedom, and dependence on the Lord of Hosts. Slavery, amazingly enough is easier and more desirable to stick with than freedom, especially after four centuries. Those of you familiar with the Torah will remember that the Hebrews cried often to return to Egypt where they had meat, leeks, and melons for the asking. Christians have the same problems; we want to go back to Egypt, to serve the gods we served there, gods of sex, carnality, food, liquor, drugs, addiction to internet, pornography, etc.

During this time of Lent, it is good to ask ourselves, “do we want to return to Egypt?” “Do we recognise that YHWH is God over all of our gods and lords which we have made?” “Do we recognise that God is God of and over nature, fully in control?” In other words, most of us are out of Egypt, but is Egypt out of us? Do we allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives? He cannot be Lord of our lives in truth unless we recognise that he is Lord of All. When we learn to truly trust him by giving him our selves, our souls, our bodies, our time and our money, or will we just give him lip service? It is time for us to decide. Remember what Corrie ten Boom said about revisiting our sins. “It is as God has thrown our sins into the deepest part of the sea, and placed a sign that says, ‘No Fishing!’ God has won the victory. All we need to do is follow and obey.

Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua

+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com

19 March 2005: Moshe Rabeinu

As we approach Peshach or Passover and Easter, it is a good thing to consider Moshe Rabeinu (1393?-1273? BC), more well known to us westerners as Moses. There is still speculation about the exact years in which he lived. According to the Rabbis, Moses was born and died on the 7th of Adar. Moses lived in Egypt for 40 years, towards the end of which, he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating one of the Habiru (Hebrew) people. Moshe then spent the next forty years taking care of sheep in the desert. The end of this period he has his encounter with the burning bush. His last forty years he spent combating Pharaoh and leading the Hebrews to freedom.

We can look at this in a different way. During Moshe’s first forty years he attempted to save his people through his own efforts. His second forty years were spent learning to depend on God. His last forty years were spent in allowing God to use him to save his people.

Forty is an important number in the Bible. Forty is a number which symbolises trials, temptations and preparations. Moses spends forty years getting to know God in the desert. The children of Israel spend forty years in the desert to prepare to enter the promised land. Yeshua (Jesus) spent forty days in the desert to prepare for his ministry, and of course we have forty days of Lent.

Moses, when he encounters the burning bush approaches to see this strange sight. God instructs him to remove his sandals and come no closer because he is standing on holy ground. Today, the Cohen (Jewish priest) removes his shoes before giving the Aaronic blessing. In both the Coptic and Assyrian churches, the congregation remove their shoes in memory of this verse, and that their church is holy ground. I myself usually remove my shoes before entering the church, or at the least before approaching the alter, in memory of this verse.

Moses does not jump at the opportunity to save his people. Perhaps the memory of the slain Egyptian gives him doubts. Perhaps he did not want to confront the Pharaoh, of whom the Midrash and Talmud suggest grew up with Moses, perhaps he has finally realised that he is not worthy. But God is not concerned with our worthiness. He is concerned with our brokenness and our willingness to be used by him. Moses was a murderer, yet God used him. Samson was a philanderer, yet God used him. You and I are sinners (or were before we accepted Jesus, but now we are saints, we’ll save that for another day). Moses was broken when he fled Egypt, Sampson when his eyes were removed. Are we broken? Have we come to the point that we realise that we are not worthy, nor will we ever be ready for God’s gift of eternal life to us? Do we really appreciate what a wonderful gift this is?

When we are truly broken, and realise that we have no power to help ourselves, nor do those things that God wants us to do, then we are ready to be used by God. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.” (James 3:16) His strength and power are truly manifest in our weakness.

But Moshe hesitates. He tells Adonai YHWH that he is slow of speech. (An aside on this, according to the Talmud, Moshe was a very intelligent child, so intelligent in fact that the Pharaoh became worried that Moshe would supplant his son. Pharaoh’s counsellors suggested that they test Moshe by putting a piece of gold and a burning ember in the crib. If Moshe took the gold, they would know there was danger. Moshe began to reach for the gold, but an angel of YHWH (blessed be the name) pushed Moshe’s hand to the ember which he took and put in his mouth burning his tongue). Anyway, the Lord reminds Moshe that it was the Lord YHWH who created Moshe and gave him his mouth, and of course arranges for Aaron to speak for Moshe. The point that we need to take is that if YHWH calls us to do something, he will give us the power to do it. The Lord sent me to Honduras. It took me a year to learn Spanish, but I was preaching in my first week of travel in Mexico. I was sent to the Miskito Coast. In six months the language was learned. Brothers and sisters, this was not me, it was the Lord. When he gives us a job, he gives us the ability to complete it. This is not just a job in missions or ministry. This is in holiness as well. God calls us to be holy as he is holy.

Friends, I am deeply disappointed by seeing all the smokers rush to the door of their church (close by our house) so they can get that cigarette. I am appalled by gluttony that I see in Christian brothers (and myself, but I am in battle, 22 pounds down and 42 to go). I am disgusted that George Barna’s statistics show that Christian youth are more likely to be involved in sex than non-church attendees. Oh Lord, forgive us, have we done such a sorry job teaching our children.

There are two problems. One, we have lost the power of self-discipline. When I was in high school, contraception methods were pretty primitive. The birth control pill had not yet been invented, yet one girl in four years in a class of 900 plus got pregnant. Times they have changed. My first year in a regular public high school, fourteen of about 200 students that I had were pregnant. People tell me times are changed we cannot go back. My response is balderdash. First we need to remember that sex is a gift for use in marriage only. Secondly we need to know that God will give us the power to overcome any sin in our life. Any sin. Sexual sin, addiction, any sin.

When I gave up my snuff, I had been using it fourteen years. The good Lord showed me that it was messing up my witness with the youth group with which I worked. I was reminded on Christian radio that God was bigger than my tobacco habit. I laid my can of tobacco on the altar, asked the Lord to take away my desire and have been free ever since (twenty-three years now).

Brothers and sisters, God is calling you to personal holiness. You know where if you are listening to him. He will give you the power to conquer sin in your life. God is also calling you to work for him. I do not know where, but you do. Have no doubts. God will give you the power. Twenty-two years ago I left Conroe, Texas on my motorcycle with $90.00 in my pocket. About 10 weeks later I arrived in Honduras still with money in my pocket. God had cleared a way for me miraculously to make it all the way to Honduras. A week after I showed up at the Episcopal School in Tela, the teacher had to leave on an emergency trip because her father was dying. It is amazing how God moves.

Don’t be afraid. Don’t argue with God. Don’t tell him you cannot do it. Be like Samuel and tell him, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Tell him, “I cannot do it on my own, but with you at my side all things are possible.

Moshe Rabeinu, (once he got going) displayed faith. Note, before each of those miracles, except the food ones, Moshe had to obey God, and trust God to do the rest. Let us all go out and do the same.

Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com