DEBORAH: WARRIOR AND JUDGE

The Lord had constant trouble with His people as they "sinned in His eyes," the worship of other gods. So, in the third period of the judges, The Lord sold them into the hands of Jaban, a king of Canaan.  Now, Jaban's army was commanded by Sisera, who had nine-hundred chariots.  This Sisera had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.  Would the Lord help them, those who sinned against Him?  Would He help those whom He had just given  to those who were oppressing them? Who would God protect in this situation?


Now, in these days, the protector of the Israelites was a Judge named Deborah.  After prayer, she took charge as God directed and sent Barak down to Mt. Tabor, to be followed by ten thousand men.
At Barak's advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots, but then Sisera fled on foot!  Barak pursued the chariots and the main army until there was not a man left.


Now, the enemy, Sisera, ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin King of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.  Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come my Lord, come right in.  Don't be afraid." So, he went in where he lay down,  was covered, and given a drink while Jael was asked to stand in the doorway of the tent to watch for the army.


But Jael did not watch at the tent's door, and when Sisera was asleep she took a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to his side where he slept, exhausted. Picking up the hammer and putting the peg at his temple, she drove the peg through his temple until he was dead.


On that day, God subdued Jabin the Canaanite king, along with his commander, Sisera.  And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger day by day, as they called upon the Lord.


Study/  "Even though her husband, Heber, was loyal to Sisera's forces, Jael  was not. Because women of that day were in charge of pitching the tents, Jael had no problem driving the tent peg into Sisera's head while he slept.  Deborah had predicted that a woman would have the honor of  stopping Sisera that day.


In victory, Barak, the army's leader, and Deborah sang praises to God.  Songs of praise focus our attention on God, give us an outlet for spiritual celebration, and remind us of God's faithfulness and character.  Whether you are experiencing a great victory or a major dilemma, singing praises to God can have a positive effect  on your attitude."


I like this story of Deborah and Jael, proving that women can serve God in  various ways.  I'm not sure I could do as Jael did, but I take my hat off to her, just the same.  I am touched by the study's reminder of singing praises to God.  I admit I love the more common church service where you can clap to the music as led, or sing out strong when you must.  Our church has a variety of services, and each one seems to have God's Spirit singing with joyful abundance. I love it!  We have as many women pastors as we do men; also, all good people and great leaders. I love Sundays!

THE ERA OF THE JUDGES

After Joshua dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of their own lands.  But it was not long before those who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel, were gathered to their fathers, and another generation grew up, and they followed the various gods of the people who lived around them.  In the Lord's anger for them, He handed them over to raiders who plundered them, and when they served Baal, He showed his anger, also,  and sold them to their enemies all around. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 


The Israelites, through God's strength, overcame many difficulties, in spite of Joshua's death.  But  the unholy but attractive life of the Canaanites proved more dangerous than their military did.   Israel had to learn that no matter how powerful the commander, the people missed Joshua's spiritual leadership. Israel had to learn no matter how powerful or wise, a man must believe his real commander is God.   We who are alive today, can read that the men who attempted to follow the will of the Lord concerning  these events, was right.  God does not play favorites.  God is not partial; all people are eligible for God's gracious forgiveness as well as for his firm justice.


In order for our faith to survive and become one like Joshua's, one must practice  it daily.  It must penetrate every aspect of our lives.  Beware of starting out strong and then getting sidetracked from your real purpose--loving God and living for Him.  These things must be written  on our hearts.


During this time of near faith-less-ness, God showed his great mercy by raising up judges to save the people from their oppressors.  Mercy has been defined as "not giving a person what he or she deserves."  This is exactly what God did for Israel and what he does for us.  Our disobedience demands judgment!  But God shows mercy toward us by providing an escape from sin's penalty through Jesus Christ who alone saves us from sin.  When we pray for forgiveness we are asking for what we do not deserve.  Yet when we take this step and trust  in Christ's saving work on our behalf, we can experience God's forgiveness.


Tomorrow I would like to tell the story of a woman named Deborah who was  an exceptional woman of her time and one of the Judges the Lord provided for Israel.  She was not the first judge, but she was one who will be remembered!


Until then, keep keeping the faith!


Jo INMN

WHICH NATION RECEIVED WHICH LAND?

By checking my bible in the Study Section, I found it most interesting  to discover why the  nations were distributed in the way they were, and why they didn't just make one nation out of the whole of Canaan. "There were several good reasons for establishing these well-set boundaries instead of turning the promised land  into a single undivided nation.  1) The boundaries gave each tribe ownership of an area, promoting loyalty and unity that would strengthen each tribe.  2) The  boundaries delineated areas of responsibility and privilege which would help each tribe develop and mature.  3) The boundaries reduced conflicts that might have broken out if everyone had wanted to live  in the choicest areas.  4) The boundaries fulfilled the promised inheritance to each tribe that began to be given as early as the days of Israel, the one who raised all of his twelve sons to each become  a leader of the Twelve Tribes.


"The Israelites discovered that relationships affect faith.  The men and women of the surrounding nations were attractive to the Israelites.  Soon they intermarried, and the Israelites accepted their pagan gods.  This was clearly prohibited by God and the Israelites gradually began to accept the immoral practices associated with those gods.  Most Israelites didn't start out determined to be idolaters; they just added the idols to the worship of God.  But before long they found themselves absorbed in pagan worship. 


"A similar danger faces each of us.  We want to befriend those who don't know God, but through those friendships  we can become entangled in unhealthy practices.  Friendships with unbelievers are important, but we must accept people without compromising or adopting their patterns of behavior.  It is difficult to imagine the people of Israel trading  idols of stone or wood for worshiping God, but we do the same when we forsake worshiping God for other activities, hobbies , or other priorities.  Our idols may not be made of stone, but they are every bit as wrong,"


I am intrigued by a chart in the  study portion of my bible which explains why the Israelites and sometimes we ourselves may pursue idols.  I will  list those short-term benefits which tantalize us. Again, from the study: " immediate self-gratification, sensuality approved, low ethical standards tolerated, neighbors' sins approved, visible idols worshiped, selfishness condoned, business relations improved, religious practices loosely regulated, changed life not demanded, compromise and cooperation practiced, no concern for others expected." The temptation to follow false gods because of short-term benefits, good feelings, easy "rules", or convenience is always present.  But the benefits were deceptive because the gods were false.  We worship God because He is the one and only true God."


The Israelites make a grand lesson for us for "what not to do!" God wanted them desperately to be His people. I am overwhelmed sometimes with the love that God has shown over the centuries for his people. I am so glad to be included, yet I know personally how hard it is to do the right thing always.  I am inclined to have a temper and a mouth that forgets to keep shut, so I understand how it feels to be "loosely regulated."  But, I do know that God loves me, even when I sin, so I try to be quick to be remorseful and ask for forgiveness..both to God and to the person who received my outburst. God does forgive.  As does His Son, who died for the sins that I am unable to control....yet.  I love Jesus, and He knows that I am straining to reach the goal.  How grateful I am for His love for me.


Love in bountiful measure,


Jo INMN

THE PROMISED LAND--DIVIDED

Joshua showed real brilliance in his military strategy as he conquered the land of Canaan.  After first capturing Jericho and gaining a foothold in the land and revealing the power of God, he gained the hill country around Bethel and Gibeon.  Soon, he had subdued all the cities of the north, and then the towns in the lowlands. In all Canaan, 321 kings and their cities had been defeated.


After seven years of battle, Israel had gained control of the land and Joshua dismissed the army. The land was then to be divided and allotted to the tribes, as it was Israel's earthly inheritance from the Lord. But Joshua reminded them that Israel also had a spiritual inheritance which would continue to encourage the people to remain faithful to God.  To this day, people who are faithful to God will enjoy their own spiritual inheritance which God intends.


Much of the land was still unconquered at this point, but God's plan was to go ahead and include it in the divisions among the tribes.  God's desire was that it would eventually be conquered by the Israelites, so they would still have to go to battle and fight for the land. The land that they had conquered, did not become fully theirs as the Israelites did not fully take over the land.  They did not drive out all its inhabitants and the presence of the remaining pagan peoples of  Canaan caused unending difficulties for the Israelites. They allowed sinful practices to be nurtured by their neighbors, and soon God's people would find them attractive, and God's plan would be broken or weakened. As the Jewish people found these sins attractive,  God's purpose was overlooked,  many times to the destruction of a family. Gradually, these sins hurt the faith of the people.


God's hope for the people of the world has not changed from the days of Canaan.  There have been many Joshua's over the centuries and many Canaans.  Each time there has been hope for the people.  Each time there has been sinfulness. No time has there been perfection.  But, there has always been..God!


 God has never failed us.  He is perfect in design and in actions.  And He is always there.  He sent His Son, His only Son who had been with Him at the beginning of our world, to teach, to heal, and finally to die on a cross. This same Son who rose from His grave as no person has ever done  before or since. This same Son whom we celebrate at our Eastertime. This Son we call Jesus.


Jesus, the Promised One, is with us always,


Thanks Be To God!


Jo INMN

JOSHUA: GOD'S MAN

Remember Joshua?  God's man who was to lead the Israel warriors into the Promised Land?  A war was needed for God's people to take over the land for their own, and Joshua was appointed by God to be their leader.  He was an all right kind of guy.


When Joshua and his men got close to Canaan, Joshua looked up and saw a man standing right in front of him with a drawn sword.  Joshua asked, "Are you with us or against us?"  And the man answered, "Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord, I have come." Joshua fell face down in reverence, and asked, "Do you have a message for me from the Lord?" And the messenger said, "God has delivered you from harm, if you follow my instructions.  March around the city of Jericho once with all your armed men. Do this for six days.  On the seventh day march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing their trumpets  When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout, then the walls of the city will collapse and the people will go into the city, every man straight in."  So, Joshua ordered the people to do that very thing.


On the seventh day, Joshua got up early and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.  The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets and the rear guard followed the ark.  All the time the trumpets were sounding, but the people restrained from their war cries.  They circled the city seven times and at the seventh time around, Joshua commanded the people to shout.  "Shout!  For the Lord has given you the city!"  The people shouted, and at the  sound of the trumpet and the shouts of the people, the wall of the city collapsed.  Every man charged straight in and they took the city, and devoted it to the Lord.  But Rehab, the prostitute that had helped the Israelites who had spied out the city, was spared, along with her entire family. The gold and silver, bronze and iron was kept for the treasury of the Lord's house.


God's purpose in all of this was to keep the people's faith and religion from becoming contaminated.  God did not want the plunder to remind Israel of Canaanite practices.  And further, God had Joshua pronounce this solemn oath,  "Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city of Jericho." So, this is the plight and the sorrow of the city of Jericho. This curse was fulfilled in         1 Kings 16:34 when a man named Heil rebuilt Jericho and consequently lost his oldest and youngest sons.


Joshua today is celebrated by Sunday School children who so ardently sing, "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho...and the walls came tumbling down."


In Jericho's case, the leaders and the people listened and obeyed God, and the results were what God had predicted and desired.  When Israel eliminated sin from their community, the result was good.  When they followed the desires of God and not their own, their result was like Jericho.  When people obey God, His encouragement follows, His presence is known, His guidance and promise of victory is revealed, and His permission is given, and others know the people have followed God.  Blessings always come when we turn from sin and follow God wholeheartedly.


It ain't easy, but it's better than getting poked in the eye with a stick!  And I'm not kidding!  Sin just wears me out, but I'll find an excuse for whatever it is because it's so hard to admit I have indulged in some thing that is repugnant to God. Better to get rid of it, at all costs!  Ask someone to pray for you.  It will truly help.


Your friend who knows the reality of sin and its harm,


Jo INMN

MONDAY MORNING, FEELING FINE!

All is well so far this morning.  It's very, very cold today, and Max, now nearly 13 yrs.old, is very disappointed, as he has figured out that no one is taking him for a walk.  It's supposed to warm up some this afternoon, and I'll rustle up the warm jacket and mittens, and let him run and jump a bit. It's as good for me as it is for him.


Our kids reminded us the other day that it was colder here last year than it is this year.  Our memories of last year are apparently insufficient. Never has it felt so cold in MN to me as this year's temp.


There is not too much going on, either, to make one feel celebratory.  We celebrate things like:  Waking up in the morning, remembering to brush teeth and comb hair, checking the calendar to see if we have any appointments or to tell me which day it is, and also to tell us if Peg will be coming to go to work from here this afternoon.  If so, she spends the rest of the night here and will be with us in the morning. (That's wonderful!)


I took out a big chuck roast to defrost and will cook it one of these days when Mitch and gang can come for dinner. He has been begging for "stringy meat." One of his favorites.  I hope I can remember how to fix the darn thing!  I think you just brown it, put it in the oven with veggies, and potatoes and a couple of hours later, voila!  Stringy meat! Then fix gravy from the drippings.


I hope you are not disappointed in my lack of a Bible Story.  I just ran out of steam.  Or truly, I ran out of ideas.  Perhaps, I might  write up a story about each bible character as so many people in the bible interest me.  Ruth, for instance. She's got a great story.  But right now, it's the season of Lent in the church as we go forward to Easter Sunday.  Christ's death on the cross, called Good Friday (What was good about it is that He died for us, for our sins!) and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday, all are part of the greatest story ever told. I'm not sure my writing would add a bit to that wonderful moment in time!


I will just pray for you, for God's Spirit to abide in you and therefore for Jesus to be part of your daily life.  And I ask you to do the same for me. There is no real life without Him.  With the Lord, we have life with a capital L, LIFE!


Have a great day, my friends!


Jo INMN

ONE MORE DAY

Jerry is coming home today after 11:00.  Mette is picking him up, and taking with her one of Mitch's jackets as Jerry had no jacket on the ambulance.  This is above and beyond helpful as Mette is a very busy lady. I feel  very sheepish, not picking him up myself.......The last time I drove was bringing him home from the hospital last year.  I honestly hope we do not have to make a yearly trek, but will do if necessary.  I think my job is to get myself used to driving as soon as the roads clear up a bit.  No more procrastinating!  I can...I must do!


My plan for bogging is to blog the lives of interesting Bible people and how God used each one of them. It isn't overly ambitious, and I hope it will be informative.  Some day, God willing, it may be read by someone who has wanted to learn about God and His people.  And in the meantime it gives  me a way to show God that I cherish Him in my life.


Today is the memorial service for Ray Boehlke, a pastor of the Lakeland Methodist Church when we lived in Afton.  We had planned to attend, but will not, although it would have been possible, but just barely, time-wise.  I think we will celebrate our own life today, and be grateful for all those who had been part of it.  Nevertheless, we remember Ray as being instrumental in the days we lived in Afton.


Max will be very glad to  see Jerry.  He was quite disturbed last night, and kept looking at the door waiting for him to come in.  I let him listen to the phone as Jerry spoke to him, and he seemed satisfied.  Aren't dogs intuitive?


This is my blog for today.  No story.  Nothing to learn. Just two people very much in love still, who had to grasp an idea that may some day be truth....one of us will  be left behind....and alone.  I am so grateful that God promises that even after that day, or those days, we will someday, once again, be together enjoying the Lord Jesus in the heavenly places.  There is no down side when you love the Lord, is there?


Thank You, Mette and Mitch,


Jo INMN

TIME TO SELF EXAMINE

This morning we went flying to the hospital.  With Jerry's history of heart disease, and an ultimatum given to him by his doctors, we called 911 and they came, picked him up (and me) and whizzed him over to Stillwater Hospital. Just routine. He has been directed to follow certain rules no matter how routine.


He is never to assume it is not serious.  He is not to guess, or postpone.  He is to call, and go, or get there somehow. We called.  They came.  About six hovered around him, measuring, questioning, assessing and finally getting him on a gurney and into the ambulance.  I rode in front with the driver.


As it turned out, it was not, probably, another heart attack.  And I thank God for that.  But he is to stay the night, and not take any chances, whatsoever, of their being mistaken.


I am home, waiting for his phone call, and waiting for the Cleaning Solution ladies to clean our place up a little bit. Today was not just hospital stuff, it was also their day to clean.  I am grateful, twice over.  He is OK, and will be home tomorrow, God willing. Plus my little house will be freshened up.


I needed freshening up, too.  And Mitch supplied that for me, as he met us at the hospital, leaving his work, and brought me home.  That was very good for me.


I will be alone tonight, eating my soup by myself.  I won't be lonely.  There are many reminders of Jerry wherever I look.  And besides, this is just a trial run. Somehow, I expect that the rest of our lives together there will be occasions just like this one.  I don't mind at all, to have this little inconvenience, nor does Jerry.  But,  we must realize, we may get more scares just like this.  We can almost guarantee that will happen.  But, we are thankful they are only just coincidental scares. Someday, more than possibly, it will be the real thing.  His heart has taken a pounding over the years, even in its good care of his built-in heart thingy. (Its name has escaped from my  brain!)


So, no bible story today.  We're living and breathing our own story.  And thank you, God, for the Living and the Breathing. I am so very grateful.


Blessings to you all from a very thankful heart.


Jo INMN

JOSHUA LEADS THE NATION

After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide. "Moses, my servant is dead. You, Joshua, and all the people must  get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am giving you."  And God gave a full explanation as to what the land would be. Then He continued, "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."


So Joshua gave orders to those who were his officers  and told them to tell the people, "Get your supplies ready.  Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord God is giving you for your own." And he reminded those few who had claimed the land east of the Jordan, long before, that they must now cross the Jordan, also, and fight the good fight before they can return to their own lands.  They replied that they would, "Only let us all be strong and courageous."


But, Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies ahead of the army."Go, and look over the land, especially Jericho."  The spies did as they were told , entering the house of a prostitute named Rahab, where they stayed.  But the King of Jericho thought the Israelites were there to spy out the land and sent to message to Rahab,  "Send out the spies!" But Rahab had hidden them under the flax on the roof, and as soon as the king's men left, she went to the roof. "We have heard of your Lord who opened the Red Sea for you many years ago, so that all who live here are melting in fear of you.  Our hearts melted and everyone's courage  failed, for The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.  Now, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you."


"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her.  "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land."  So Rahab let hem down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.  And she said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you.  Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."


When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them.  Then the two men started back, fording the river and coming to Joshua, saying, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."


Now, when the people broke  camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the arc of the covenant went ahead of them.  The Jordan was in flood stage, yet when the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.  It piled up in a heap a distance away, at a town called Adam, while the water flowing down to the Sea of Salt was completely cut off.  The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.  God did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that we might always fear the Lord our God.


That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life,  just as they had revered Moses.


I am fascinated by how God works through unlikely people. He isn't looking for hero types! He even uses a woman of ill repute in the taking of Canaan!  She is given a heroine's status and quite fairly.  I'm so glad God gives us all equality in the workings of his holy plans!


Tomorrow?  Jericho falls!


All for Him,


Jo IMN

GOD'S WORLD GOES ON AND ON

Sometime around 1407 BC at the east side of the Jordan River, in view of the Promised Land or Canaan, Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy. Now, I suspect that you might have been thinking that Moses had his fill of writing down the Acts of God.  I also suspect, because of my own lack of understanding, that at some time during the Exodus the people might have caught  on to what God was trying to do and they would have become God's people forever.  And, we might have been right if there had not been such a change in who was now to be taught!  Teaching which was done in the past does not necessarily become the accepted way of the future!  Think about our own families.  Each generation from the beginning needs to be re-taught.  Just because my mother and father knew how to read did not mean that I would automatically be able to read, want to read, or have to read.  I had to learn how to read for myself.  And the teachings of God were no different.  Therefore, Moses had to re-teach those who had earlier not yet been born about the wonders of the God who loved them enough to take them from slavery, which they would have had to endure, to a place where they would be free to love Him.  And so, He wrote down the  rules and laws God had given to the people to make their lives more meaningful and beautiful.  And since then, the Book of Deuteronomy tells the people of every generation the best way to live.


Let me quote from my bible's front page which introduces this important book:  "Moses prepared the sons and daughters of the faithless generation (those who did not know or understand who God is) to possess the new land.  After a brief history lesson emphasizing God's great acts on behalf of his people, Moses reviewed the law.  Then he restated the covenant--God's contract with his people."


It was hoped, that because the lessons Moses taught were clearly from God, based on what God had already done for the people, that Israel should also have hope and a willingness to follow God always.  Even more important, Moses knew that God expected the people to listen and obey, because of who God is and what He had already done for them.  It was extremely important to let the people know that God expressed his kindness in their lives, and all must then commit themselves in a new way to trust, love, and obey Him.


Moses' heart  beat for God alone.  He was often upset with the people.  But He was fed by God's grace.  He was not a perfect man; he made some very serious mistakes in his life.  But he lived for God, uprightly carrying out God's commands, sometimes failing, but always trying.


Moses inspires us to do what God desires for us.  I shall remember Moses and what he was called to do, and how much God loved him for doing his best.  Whatever it is God  asks of you or me, I pray we can live our lives in integrity and trust in Him.


Thanks, Moses, for your life.


Jo INMN

THe great EScape

Nothing today.  I wrote the blog and it disappeared.  sorry.  I can't do it again.  Jo

DEUTERONOMY HAS MUCH TO TEACH THE WORLD

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends.  I feel compelled to send a gift, one like the Book of Deuteronomy, which was originally given to the Jewish people about their travels while looking to find their  Promised Land.  I don't have a book to send you, but rather some thoughts from the study portion of my bible regarding this  famous book. I would like to include, too, a few short sentences from another book, the novel called THE SOURCE, by James Michener, written decades ago. Each tells us the advantage of "going through the desert."


No one likes to live totally in the desert forever.  Living in Arizona for many years, we found the desert to be beautiful in its own right, and we were happy with our life there.  But, we missed our family and the change of seasons. We preferred to get old closer to where we were born, and surround ourselves with family.


Now, about the Israelites, we must remember that they had never known the desert.  Born and raised in Egypt for centuries before, they had quite an adjustment to make in experiencing the heat, the dryness, the desolation, and the lack of water and food. It doesn't surprise me that they grumbled!  Yet, there is a mystique about the desert that is wholly good.  There is a sense of aloneness which says, "I'm in this alone and I must do it or die.  It's just me and you, God, and I can't always find you!"  Have you ever experienced this?  It would surprise me, if you had not.


But, of course, we are not alone. Even if our count is only "one," none are alone, as the spirit of the Lord is always there, only a whisper and a belief away. Is it too presumptuous of me to be truly certain of this? I don't think so.


For the book, THE SOURCE, Michener, studied the life and mind of the Jewish man, and the book of Deuteronomy, which implies the Jew's strength of purpose at their new independence so many years ago now came from the peace and consolation known amidst the sweep and challenge of the desert. This is not an exact quote, but the meaning is there.  God could be heard in the sighing of the wind as it blew across the sand. The novel repeatedly reminded the reader that God can't be forgotten in the desert where they lived so close to Him.




THE SOURCE also reacted to the callousness of the Israelites when they tired of hearing rules and regulations from God, when God was to have said, "You are free to ignore my commands, but I will grow impatient and will speak to others."  Listen and obey, or I'm outta here!  God also added,           " Listen to me in the desert.  Hearing is much easier than trying to be heard when you are within walls.  Yet I will be there, also."


As tiresome as they were, the rules and laws of the commandments were given by God to keep the Israelites from self-destruction, and they are still of use to us for the same reason in these days.  They are for our own good.


Our world today is not so different from the Old Testament days. We each seek our own place with God.  We each want our lives for ourselves and our families to be without fear and harm.  We want safety.  We don't expect perfection, but hope for tranquility.  We want something good for our children and their children. And we hope against hope that the world will let us have these things. And when we realize that finding God is first among us, we are quieted somewhat from our fears. And today?  Today we have the New Testament which brings us the Spirit again, in a new and different form, the man of the Cross. He hears.  From wherever we call, he hears.


Thanks for listening.


Seriously,
Jo INMN

HOW TO BUILD A TABERNACLE.....

 Moses and the Lord had quieted the people during their trek through the desert.  And the Lord, through the mouth of Moses, had the people build God a tabernacle which could be carried on their long journey to the promised land.  The people were gracious and generous in giving.  Some gave gold or silver or bronze.  Some gave purple and scarlet yarn or linen, skins dyed red, acacia wood, olive oil for light, spices for anointing with oil and for incense, and onyx stones and other gems.


All who were skilled at building were to come and be employed in the making of the tent and its covering, and to make clasps, frames, and all minute pieces which were needed to secure the tent. Curtains were made for the doorway, as was a bronze basin with its stand, tent pegs and ropes, even the woven garments to be worn for ministering in the  sanctuary.  The women spun, the men built, and brought their free-will offerings to the Lord as Moses had commanded them. The Lord filled the people with His Spirit, and together they fashioned the tabernacle and its accessories.


Finally, all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed.  The people had done all that the Lord had commanded them to do. The Creator had been highly interested in the smallest detail, and the Tabernacle had been done as He had desired. And Moses blessed the people.  If God was happy, so Moses, too, was happy, and the people were happy, too.


The tabernacle was to be God's home on earth, and God filled it with His glory--the overpowering sense of His presence.  It wasn't until 500 years later that Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem which replaced the tabernacle as the central place of worship.  God, at times, filled the temple with his Glory and presence, but when Israel turned from God, His Glory and presence departed.  In time the temple was destroyed by invading armies, and was not rebuilt until 516 B.C.  When Jesus was crucified, God's glory again left the temple.  However, God no longer needed a physical building after Jesus rose from the dead.  God's temple now is his church, the body of believers.(Study)


But, in all the travels made in the time of Moses and God's tabernacle, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out. But if the cloud did not lift they did not set out--until the day it lifted.  So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, to the sight of all the Israelites in their journeying.


How God cares!  How God cared for his desert people!  And now us.  How God also cares for us.  We are still His people, beloved, adored, cherished enough to show us when we are wrong as well as when we have done well. Every time I think of Jesus, His Spirit open to me always, I know He is  present.  And I know it pleases Him that I think of Him.  Thoughts of Jesus warm me, remind me that all is  OK, whether the day brings good, or not so much so.  The moment of my thought of Jesus makes me One with Him, like the cloud and fire did which lead the Israelites.  We are no different from those who followed God's Spirit through the desert.  Life, our life, can be a desert................
or a tabernacle of love.


In His care,


Jo INMN

THOUGHTS ON GOD'S WORK ON MOUNT SINAI

Mt. Sinai was God's Holy Mountain.  As the Israelites struggled to maintain some essence of life in the desert, God spoke often to Moses on the mountain, giving Moses good rules for the people to live by in their new society.  However, the people became quite impatient to get to that land that sounded so promising...such an easy thing, let's just go, and get there and be in their new home!  What's so hard about that!  One day, Moses had not returned to them and they lost all control, and unfortunately, so did Aaron.  The people wanted to worship something solid, something they could touch, something they could see, and finally, Aaron gave in to them.  "Go....collect gold from your tents, and bring it to me!" he said.  And the people did bring him their gold.  After heating it in the fire they cast it into the form of a calf. And they bowed down and worshipped it.  Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry, spinning around with happiness.  They did not seem to want the kind of religiousity God was giving them...so many rules, so much to remember.


This injured God mightily.  He wanted to destroy them and make a new nation with Moses.  But Moses  searched further into God's heart and pleaded with him, "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel to whom you swore by your own self: "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars n the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever."  Then, the Lord relented.


Moses then turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands.  They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.  The  tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.  But when Moses got to the bottom of the mountain, and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned, his face flamed, and he threw the precious tablets to the ground.  And he took the calf they made and burned it on the fire, afterwards grinding it up into  a powder and scattering it on the water.  And, finally, he made the Israelites drink the water that contained their sin.


Then he stood to the side and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me."  And all the  Israelites rallied to him. He set before them punishment, and they observed its harshness.  Moses said to them, "You have committed a great sin.  But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."  And he went back to the Lord, and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed.  They have made themselves gods of gold.  But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."  And the Lord said, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.  Now go , lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you.  However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."


Once again, two tablets were readied with the Ten commandments, written by the Lord himself.  And Moses was given instructions, "Be ready to go in the morning."


It is difficult to relate to the sin of those people in the desert. We might say, "How could they?"  After all, they had God himself right before them!  But they were not used to a god they could not see or touch.  Too many other people had little gods they could carry around as if for good luck! And they were OK!  But, God had warned them through Moses. Sadly, Aaron alone did not have the strength of purpose anymore, that he had once had. And so they each failed their God even before He had a chance to show them the goodness He could bring to them.


How difficult it is to "keep the faith!"  We are taught to be responsible, to think for ourselves, to be thinking people.  But, keeping the faith in God to lead, to teach, to restore, to protect..that's another story.  We are a people used to using our own heads and hearts.


So, why did Moses have such a great rapport with God?  They talked face to face, just like friends do.
It certainly wasn't because Moses was perfect, gifted, or powerful!  Rather, it was because God chose Moses, and Moses in turn relied whole heartedly on God's wisdom and direction.  Friendship with God was a true privilege for Moses, out of reach for the other Hebrews.  But it is not out of reach for us today.  Jesus called his disciples--and by extension, all of his followers--his friends (John15:15)  He has called you and me to be his friends.  Can we trust Him as Moses did? (Study/ & me)


I hope we can be a friend to Jesus, God Incarnate.  The Father who loved Moses, loves us as well.  I know because He sent His Son and He died on a cross for us, you and me.  What greater love is there? I like to spend time with my good friends.  I want to spend time with Jesus, and I think that's what the Father wants for me, too. For in spending time together, I will learn what Jesus wants. And as a good friend, I want to do what He wants.


Hoping you agree!


Jo INMN

WHY ALL THE LAWS? NEVER MIND!

To start off today, I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed writing yesterday.  In thinking about it, my expressions and words came right from my heart, as if I had written a letter to God. And perhaps that is what I did, and more right for me to do than what I might guess.  I have no idea, you see, if anyone reads these blogs.  I began to write them in the hope that someone someday would read them and find the Lord for themselves within my words.  Perhaps, this then is a confession of sorts that I had hoped to be doing work for God through my writing.


My daughter, Peg, was a long time in coming to God, yet is as solid a person in Him as I know. She had a word or two for me yesterday, which was such a good thing.  If you have been following my blog for a long time, you might remember that I had a serious need to be forgiving of myself.  The childhood I grew up in was pretty normal, but for some naughtiness which is apparent through old stories of me as a child and truly nullified any goodness I might have found in myself.  I was a bad person in my eyes.  Or rather I thought my world thought I was bad, and no amount of words differently stated would pacify me.


Therefore, as I grew up, I kept trying to prove to myself and others that I was equipped to do whatever task came to my hand.  Naturally, no person can do everything, but I guess I wanted to try --over and over--that I could do anything that came my way.  Many times I was defeated in jobs, some not totally my fault, but I could not see them as anything but my own failures. Justified as my fault sometimes, and sometimes not.  but, the image grew of my not cutting the mustard, and the proving that it was not so occurred over and over. And that's enough of that!


The thing I need to do is keep in good Fellowship with God, so that I do what He wants me to do.  I am past the age of being really active, and I can see goodness in my past which I consider godliness, but I am not trying to burn a place for myself in history, in the church, or my community.  The thing  I most need to do, is to  forgive myself for holding myself for "ransom." And in addition, keep spending time with God, by reading, writing, and praying.  There's a whole world out there which needs prayer, and I doubt I can "fail" at that, unless I don't do it!


So, today was a rest day for me in writing about God's Laws and Moses..  The Law does not apply here, only the one that God respects the most--to have a loving relationship with Him, day after day after day, and to follow Him if I am so called.


Tomorrow?  We'll see.  But I will be back, God willing.


Jo INMN

GOD GIVES THE LAW

I believe the main reason God wanted his people out of Egypt was to have them to himself.  Do I  mean that God had selfishness in the "owning" of his people? Does it sound like a good thing? No, it doesn't, as we are not to be selfish.  But, God absolutely is selfish regarding his people!  He watches over us.  He leads us.  He becomes angry when we are hurtful to others, especially to another of his own people. This selfishness of God is a good thing.  If we had a God that didn't care about us enough to want us to act rightly, it would not be the least bit helpful.  God cares; oh, yes, He cares.  I  think of God as a majestic, ruling mother and a compassionate father. My mother was the compassionate one and my father ruling,  but I always believed that they both loved me and they always proved it to me. And maybe that is why I think I understand the many sides of God. 


God is also someone who has a plan, a holy plan, for each one of his own, including us, but in the early days, in the early records of God, we find this to be less so, as He dealt with His people as groups mostly, but now and then with individuals, if it helped Him to get the message to the entire body of His own. That is when He chose Moses and also Aaron, as Moses seemed so helpless at first. Now, we begin to see that Moses is to be a teacher for God, teaching the people what the laws and rules are for, and for how they will be of help to a new community.


So, God planned to take his people today to the mountain of God, Mount Sinai, where Moses is to be given the Ten Commandments.  Israel is camped in the Desert of Mount Sinai, in front of the mountain. The Lord called to Moses from the mountain, and gave his reasons once again for bringing his people and him out of Egypt. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of  priests and a holy nation.  These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."


(Now here, I want to say a few words.  In the beginning, this was God's plan, but many things happened along the way, futuristically, that prevented  the Jewish nation to continue to thrive and be the best of the best.  Today, since the advent of Jesus Christ and his being known as the Son of God, the Jewish nation is struggling to be what God had intended so long ago. Whose  fault is that?  The fault rests on all people of all times. The Jewish people after the sins of their greatest king, David, found they could not follow completely the strict laws, although they tried, century after century.  The following of the rules did not cover the inhumanity of man, and by that I mean, all humans in the world and their incompleteness.  No matter how we struggled to obey completely, the human being is essentially imperfect. And that is why Jesus Christ was sent to us by the Father.  God asked Him to die on the cross--to recompense for us, pay for our sinful natures, and cover the need for retribution.)


Onward to the mountain, and the first of the many plans God has given us over the years to become the people he wants us to be.........And God finished his speech to Moses with these words--- "Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."


So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people, and after he had given them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. the people all responded together:  "We will do everything the Lord has said."  So Moses brought their answer  back to the Lord.


But, the Lord wanted to show them his delight in them through a wondrous cloud, and  directed Moses to go to the people and consecrate them on that day and the next.  "Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because  on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.  Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it.  Or you will surely die.'" And Moses did as he was told.


And the Lord came to them on the third day when the people had readied themselves. And this is what He said:  "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery. 1)You shall have no other Gods before me.2) You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above  or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 3) You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God is a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 4) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 5) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 6)Honor your father and your mother. 7) You shall not commit adultery.8) You shall not steal. 9) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 10) You shall not covet.


Then the people saw thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke.  They trembled with fear.  They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us by yourself and we will listen.  But do not have God speak to us or we will die."  Moses did his best to assure them there was no reason to fear God will hurt them, but God only wants them to respect Him and for them to not be a sinful people.


And the Lord spoke to Moses again, asking him to tell the people: "You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven."  And he again repeated the rule of not making other gods  of silver or gold.  He only wanted an altar of earth where they could bring their burnt offerings.


And at this time God gave to Moses many more rules for the people, to keep them healthy and holy.


These rules were still in effect at the time of Jesus and Jesus himself was brought up with these rules.  But when Jesus saw how the priests were using the rules, the smallest ones even down to gnats eyelashes, he knew that the commandments would always be holy, but the many rules, those given by God and those added to over the centuries by the Pharisees and the high priests, were hurting the people of God, as they could not keep them all in  purity or in perfection.


This is our story.  This is our crime.  The people of God are not now or ever have been perfect.  But our God does not ask for perfection anymore.  Since Jesus came and died in our place, we are as close to perfect as we'll ever be...Providing...and that is a very big word, providing that we know that God comes first, now and always. And those of us who follow Jesus, know God through Jesus.  And some even have had the touch of the Father Himself, in a very personal way. Jesus, the Son, is the Father personified. They, or He, whichever gives you  comfort, for they are two in  One, will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth.


Forgive if I seem like I am preaching, but I guess, in a way, I am.  This subject is so near to my heart of hearts, it brings me to tears to think of what all our Lord has had to go through over the  centuries to get our attention first and next, our love.


Instead of preaching to you, I wish you were right here to accept my love.  You without  faces, but with great hearts to keep reading these notes of mine. Believe me, there is much love in each of these words. I hope and pray you have  accepted the attention and the love of Jesus Christ, himself.


Forever Friends and Friends in Christ,


Jo INMN

TEACH THE PEOPLE WHAT GOD IS TEACHING YOU

There was at least one thing that was certain during the long period of time the Israelites were meandering through the desert on the way to the Promised Land--they rarely stopped complaining!  If it wasn't that they were getting tired of "manna", they were thirsty for water and the complaints came regularly and they grumbled tirelessly to Moses.  And he was getting tired of it.


He took it to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord said, "Walk ahead of the people and when you come to a rock, strike it with your staff."  So, Moses did this, and water came out of the rock as God had promised.  And the Lord also helped when a group of Amalekites same and attacked the Israelites.  As long as Moses held the staff given to him by the Lord over his head, the Israelites fought well. If he put his arms down,  not so good. But the Amalekites were finally defeated, and Moses built an altar, calling it The Lord is my Banner, for hands had been lifted up to the throne of God.


Now, Jethro, Moses father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert where he was camped near the mountain of God, Mt. Sinai. Moses had earlier received word of his coming and went to meet him. Jethro was glad to hear all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the Egyptians.


The next day, Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, the people standing around him from morning to night. When his wise father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing?  Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these  people stand around you from morning until evening?  What you are doing is not good!  Let me give you some advice.  Be the people's representative before God and let them bring their disputes. But, first teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live, and what their duties are.  And select capable men, men who fear God, and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens of people.  Have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple  cases they can decide themselves.  If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."  This was to be good advice, and Jethro went on his way, returning home to his own country.


Through all their  traveling, the Israelites finally reached Mount Sinai, God's holy mountain.  Much happens there, including the receiving of the Ten Commandments.  but the Israelites, and also, Moses and Aaron, had much yet to learn for God was not through with them as yet.


Through the experiences of  Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites we have much to learn about the importance of obedience in our relationship with God.  The Commandments, too, are good for us to know and obey as they give us our standard of righteous living.  These things are what we begin with, and God's Spirit, now available to us through the power of Christ's death on the cross, will teach us more, each one of us individually, those things we need to know in our own lives.


Happy Learning, dear friends, and me, too!!


Jo INMN

COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN

After their wonderful saving grace at the Red Sea, Moses led the Israelites from there to the Desert of Shur. Three days traveling, and they could not find water.  When they came to a place called Marah , which means bitter, they tried the water there, but it was just like its name, bitter.  Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the bitter water, and the water became sweet.  This was a sign to them that the Lord lives by His laws and wants the Law for His people. "Do what is right in my eyes, and if you pay attention to my commands and keep my decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals."


Then they went to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. It was the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, when they decided to move on.  They set out from Elim to the Desert of Sin, where they began to grumble against Moses and Aaron.  "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt!  There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve!"


Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you.  The people must go out each day and gather enough just for that day.  I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.  On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that must be twice as much as they gather on the other days, so they will not gather on the Sabbath Day."  And Moses and Aaron gave this good news to the people, and reminded them that their grumbling was not to them, but they had grumbled to the Lord!  And God brought quail for them to eat that evening, covering the camp grounds with the birds. 


And in the morning, after the dew was gone, there were thin flakes like frost on the ground all over the desert floor.  Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded; Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take about 2 quarts for each person."  And each one gathered as much as he needed. Moses warned them, "Do not keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses and  they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. Each morning everyone gathered what was needed, and when the sun grew hot,  the rest melted away.  On the sixth day, they obeyed and gathered twice as much in preparation to having no work on the Sabbath.  They were advised, "Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.  So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil.  Save whatever is left and keep it until morning."  And it did not stink or get maggots.  Nevertheless, some did not follow directions and tried to gather on the seventh day.  But they found nothing.


The people called the bread manna, white like coriander seed and tasting like wafers made with honey. And they attempted  to put some manna in a jar as a reminder of the way God provided for them in the desert.


The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a land that they were to have for their own.  Even today, the people of Israel  remember yearly what the Lord had done for them in the desert.  God truly does provide, maybe not in the way we most desire, but he does provide.


I bow my head in thanks for the provisions God has made for my family in my lifetime, and even today, when things are a little less  easy, God still provides.


Loving you, each one,


Jo INMN

ISRAEL IN THE DESERT

With all the listening to the Lord, repeating what God said to Pharaoh, and  repeating it once again to the Hebrew families, Moses believed he and Aaron were about to leave Egypt with all of the people he had been charged to free...finally. The two could hardly believe it, but they rallied to believe and got busy.


Egypt had succumbed at last as they buried their dead first-borns, although Pharaoh made one last attempt to bring the Israelites to heel, but the people escaped when God intervened.  And that is our story for today.


When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them directly toward the promised land which would have been the road through Philistine country, as the Philistines were not friendly to the Israeli people. Instead, God sent them around by the desert road toward the Red Sea where they camped. The Lord led the way at the front of the people, by night with a pillar of fire, and by day by a pillar of cloud. They were in God's hands. They camped where they were told and moved when they were told, trusting and glad to be free.  Then God led them back to an earlier camp, intersecting  between two campsites making it look as if they were lost, or unsure where to go next, hemmed in by the desert.  The Lord had decided to harden Pharaoh's heart once more and make him pursue the Israelites in order to show the world that only God has the right to Glory.


The Egyptians pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea.  As Pharaoh approached them, the Israelites looked up to see the Egyptians, Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops, overtaking them.  The people did not know God's plan, and they were terrified, shouting and crying, and calling out to the Lord. Moses tried to calm them, "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see? You will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."


Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so the people can go through the sea on dry ground.  The  Egyptians will go in after them.  This is how I will gain glory and they will know that I am the Lord."


And that is just what Moses did. The sea opened up for the people to cross over, and the Pharaoh followed with his army.  Then, the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.  Moses did this and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.  No one in Pharaoh's army survived.


The people acknowledged the power of the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses, his servant.   And the people sang a song to the Lord in worship and celebration:  "Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power."


The study in my bible added a bit of interest: "There was no apparent way of escape, but the Lord opened up a dry path through the sea.  Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out.  Don't panic, God can open up a way." (End of today's story)


Been there; done that!


Jo INMN

A PLAGUE ON THE FIRST- BORN

Moses, just booted out from Pharaoh's sight, listened carefully as the Lord addressed him again.  "I will bring one more plague on Egypt and its Pharaoh.  After that, he will let you go from here, driving you out completely.  Tell the people each one is to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold. They will be pleased to do as you ask as they have become favorable toward you, for I have so inclined their spirits."


When Moses heard all God had to say, he informed the people, saying, "The Lord said, 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt and every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl,  and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.  There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt--worse than there has ever been or will be again..  But among the Israelites, not even a dog will bark!  Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel."


These things Moses also said to Pharaoh, and in addition, Moses told him, "All your officials will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, "Go, you and all the people who follow you.  After that I  will leave."  Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh, as once again, Pharaoh's heart had been hardened.


Then the Lord instructed Moses in detail in "how to have your house passed over" and the people were informed.  "On the tenth day of the month each  man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th day at twilight, and take some of its blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the house where you eat this meal. That same night, eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. Eat this with your cloak tucked into your belt, sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat in haste; it is the Lord's Passover.  If there is meat left in the morning, burn it."


"n that night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and women-- and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt.  I am the Lord.  The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Celebrate  this day forever."


At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,  from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the Egyptian in prison, and the firstborn of all the livestock.  There was much wailing and many tears among the people for there was not a house without someone  dead.


During the night, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up!  Get up and leave my people, you and the Israelites!  Go, worship the Lord as you have asked.  Take your flocks and herds, as you asked, and go.......  But also bless me."


Permission to leave had come, and now to the task of leaving.  Moses, Aaron and the rest of the Israelites would leave behind a man who had been determined to have his way, being both against the Lord's desires and yet wanting the Lord's blessings.


I can't speak for you, but I found myself thinking of how like Pharaoh I have been sometimes throughout my life doing that very same thing, doing something differently than what God wants and yet wanting his blessing. I sincerely hope that I have grown beyond this now.


 God, grow me up to want your way and not my own!


Jo INMN

LET MY PEOPLE GO!

So, the world of Pharaoh is full of hail, and storms, and thunder, and lightening. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt...ever!  The only place it did not storm was the land of Goshen, where the Jewish shepherds and their  animals lived.  So Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron to him once again to try to stop the dreadful storm that had stripped every tree and flattened every field.


"The Lord is in the right, and I have sinned," Pharaoh said to them. "Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail.  I will let you go.  You don't have to stay any longer." But, Moses still did not believe him, and when he left the city he spread out his hands to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down.  But, Pharaoh, although the rain had stopped, sinned again:  He and his officials hardened their hearts once more.  And he would not let the people go.


Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go again to Pharaoh.  It is I who have hardened his heart. He and his officials will see more of my miraculous signs.  You may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt with the Egyptians, so that all may know that I am the Lord."


So Moses went, once again, to Pharaoh.  This time he said, "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before God?  The Lord said, "Let my people go, so that they may worship me.  If you  refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.  They will devour what little you have left after the hail.  They will fill your houses, you Egyptians, something neither you or your fathers have seen until now."  Then, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.


Pharaoh's officials said to Pharaoh with heartfelt fear and concern,  "How long will this man be a snare to us?  Let the people go!  Let them worship their Lord!  Do you not yet realize that Egypt is in ruins?"   Pharaoh did not answer them, but,  instead asked another question of Moses, "Who will be going to worship your Lord?"  "We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord."


"Clearly you are bent on evil!" Pharaoh shouted. "No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord!"  Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence. And as they left, the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields; that is, everything growing left by the hail."  And so they did, and nothing green remained on tree or plant in all of Egypt.


Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. With a tear-filled voice he said, '"I have sinned once again against the Lord and you.  Now forgive my sin once more, please, and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away!"  Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up all the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.


Once again,  the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so darkness will spread over Egypt."  So he did, and darkness covered Egypt for three days.  Yet all the Israelites had light.  Once again Pharaoh claimed he would agree to let the people go, all of the people, but he must leave their flocks behind. But Moses refused, as he needed the livestock to be the sacrifices given  to the Lord. So, Pharaoh, frustrated to not be able to get the better of them, refused and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart once again.  Pharaoh, once again indignant, yelled, "Get out of my sight!  Make sure you do not appear before me again!  The day you see my face you will die."  And Moses replied, "Just as you say, I will never appear before you again."


But again the Lord reminded Moses and Aaron, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you, but be pleased.  My wonders will be multiplied  in Egypt because of his refusals to let my people go." (End)


What does the Lord have in his mind? Something's up. Don't you wish that you could always know what God is going to do?  What he's going to do to lead you and me in our endeavors? how everything is going to end? We humans can't stop our curiosity from popping up over and over in our heads.  Are we staying?  Are we going?  Which is the right thing to do?


I'm convinced God does have a plan, not just for Moses and Aaron and the stubborn old Pharaoh!  He's got a plan for each of us!  And we will know what that is when God's timing is right!


I believe it!  Yes, I do!


Jo INMN

PHARAOH--A STUBBORN MAN

I have heard people say, "Show me a miracle and I will believe in God!" Of course, one cannot show someone a miracle!  I see miracles everyday, in the smile of a child, the antics of a kitten, a puppy barking at a squirrel.  God makes miracles happen among us and for us all the time.  We just don't always recognize what we see and hear as miracles because this happens everyday.  Perhaps, Pharaoh was really a bit of a curmudgeon and expected miracles to be bigger than the Nile River turning from water to blood, as if it happened every day. At any rate, he would not be moved by what new thing he would see week after week, and Moses and Aaron were becoming disheartened.  But God would not let them give up!


So, the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early tomorrow and confront Pharaoh and say, "This is what the Lord says:  "'Let my people go, so that they may worship me.  If you do not let them go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials,, on your people and into your houses.  The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground around them. This miracle will happen tomorrow."


And the following day, the Lord did this.  Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt.  The land was ruined by flies.  Then, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go.  Sacrifice to your God here in the land."  But Moses said,  "That won't work!  The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.  And if they detest us, will they not stone us?  We must make a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord, as he has commanded us."  So Pharaoh said, "All right.  I will let you go to the desert--but don't go very far!  Now will you pray for me?"  Amazing, the Pharaoh had begun to see the power in the Hebrew God, and asked Moses for prayer!


The flies left Egypt, Pharaoh's officials and his people.  Not a fly remained.  But the Pharaoh hardened his heart and once again would not let the people go.  Then the Lord said to Moses, again: "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "This is what my Lord says, "Let my people go so that they may worship me.  If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock, horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats.  But the Lord will hurt only the livestock of the Egyptians and not the Israelite animals.  No animal of ours will die.  Tomorrow this will happen."  And the next day, the Lord did it:  All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.  Yet Pharaoh's heart was unyielding and would not let the people go.


What's a person to do? Moses was getting frustrated, as was God.  Moses was instructed to get up early the following morning to confront Pharaoh once again.  He was to say to him,   "My Lord says, 'Let my people go, so they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and all your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.  By now, I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you out.  I have raised you up for the purpose that  I might show you my power and so that you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth.  Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have to a place of shelter, because hail will fall upon every man and animal that is still in the field, and they will die."


Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky," and when he did, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground.  It was the worst storm in all of Egypt since it had become a nation.  Moses told the Pharaoh that he had the power to stop the hail, as the Lord had told him.  Yet he knew Pharaoh would still not fear the Lord God.  And Moses went out of the city, as Pharaoh and his officials had once again hardened their hearts and would not let Moses' people go.


Amazing!  According to the study in my bible, God gave Pharaoh many opportunities to obey Moses' warnings.  But finally God seemed to say, "Have your own way, Pharaoh!"  And Pharaoh's heart became permanently hardened.  Did God intentionally harden Pharaoh's heart and overrule his free will?  No, he simply confirmed that Pharaoh freely chose a life of resisting God.  Similarly, after a lifetime of resisting God, one may find it impossible to turn to him.  Let's not wait until just the right time  before turning to God.  If anyone has not already done it, do it now, for eventually we will not be able to hear God's voice at all.


Listen.  God may be calling!


Jo INMN

THIS IS GONNA BE A TOUGH JOB!

Let' see now...all I have to do is be more clever than Pharaoh, more of a magician, more determined, more powerful, and what ever else I can think of to get my people to follow me into a desert where there is no food or water and travel to a place we know nothing about?  That's all? These thoughts of Moses make us all wonder, "Why did God pick him?"


Poor Moses! He had no thoughts for himself, except of his inadequacies, which was a lot!  But the Lord charged him with this duty.  And Moses wanted to do his best, but was afraid his best wouldn't be good enough.  In the study portion of my bible, it gives some explanation of why God picked Moses to bring his people out of Egypt. " God needed someone who would obey him.  God's plan was to show his people that He was their God.  Most of them knew themselves as Egyptians; few had ever heard of God, their very own God!  God planned to intervene with his mighty power and perform great miracles to deliver His people that they might believe, once again, in His righteousness."


Now God had spent a lot of time with Moses and Aaron, trying to assure them.  "I have made you like me, God, to Pharaoh, you acting in my place. Aaron is to be your prophet. You are to say to him everything I command you and your brother Aaron, to let the Israelites go out of his country.  But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply many miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you.  Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with might acts of judgment I will bring out my people, the Israelites.  And the Egyptians will also know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. "  God even explained to the letter a first step with Pharaoh, "When Pharaoh says to you, "Perform a miracle," then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down,'  If you do this before Pharaoh, it will become a snake."


So Moses and Aaron, probably with their hearts in their throats, did just as the Lord commanded.  When Aaron's staff became a snake, Pharaoh called his wise men and magicians who did the same thing by their secret arts.  Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake.  But Aaron's staff  swallowed up their staffs.  Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.


What were they to do?  This question, uppermost in their minds, was taken to the Lord, who said, "Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water.  Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that became a snake.  Say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you:  Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you haven't listened.  With the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.  The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'"


The Lord continued to speak to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the Waters of Egypt--over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs--and they will turn to blood.  Blood will be everywhere in Egypt,  even in the wooden buckets and stone jars."


Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded.  The fish died, the water stank with blood.  Blood was   everywhere in Egypt.  But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became even harder; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.  Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not care.  And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.


What a calamity!  How not to make friends! But God had determined this was the way to get to Pharaoh and that was important, for the people whom they came to rescue must be let go.


Even the Secretaries of State in the United States would not have been able to move Pharaoh, I'm thinking.  And Moses and Aaron were doing their best for their God. Will it ever be enough?  More tomorrow.


Whatever "kettle of fish" you might find yourself in, take it to God  We should not rely on miracles such as were given to Moses and Aaron, but God will lead us.  One sure way God leads us is through the Word of God in the bible. No miracle of God would endorse any message that is contrary to the teachings of HIs Word. That I know!


Loving you on this new February day!


Jo INMN