Day Two's search for Love --
The first "love" verse that caught my eye was in Exodus 15, but first I want to lay some groundwork. In Exodus 14 Moses leads the Israelite nation out of slavery and out from under the power and oppression of Pharaoh. As I studied this chapter, it was God's words to Moses that practically flew off the page, "... I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them (the Israelites). But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord."
I've read this story many times, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. I found Pharaoh's duplicity intriguing. He'd given the Israelites their freedom, but once they left he was like, "What did I do? I just sent my free laborers away!" I had to laugh at how quickly his mind was changed. But then again, God did say He would harden Pharaoh's heart. Sure enough God did, and Pharaoh pursued those Israelite workers (along with 600+ chariots, all of his officers, and a full army) with a vengeance.
If you turn back to Exodus 12:33-36 it's even more interesting to read that the Egyptians were (urgently) helping the Israelites to leave. Verse 36 says, "The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for (which was silver, gold, and clothing); so they (Israel) plundered the Egyptians." Wow! is all I can say. How cool is our God?!
So, going back to my first "love" verse... "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13).
This beautiful verse was not only a shout of praise and worship to God, it was actually a line in a song. It was Moses' song of victory after God fulfilled His Word and saved His people! This whole story reminds me that not only is God faithful to His own, He is sovereign, all-knowing, and all-powerful! Praise You, Lord!
The second "love" verse was in Exodus 20:6 - "... but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." This verse is actually the second part of a sentence from the actual 2nd Commandment (You shall not make for yourself an idol...).
The first part of the sentence is rather daunting in that God makes Himself clear on his stand against worshipping anything other than Himself (money/greed, status/power, drugs/alcohol, sex/pleasure, vanity/image, etc). Basically God says He will punish (revisit, affect) the children for the sins of the father to the 3rd & 4th generation.
I think we can all agree that we've seen the affects of bad choices carry on through the generations. Alcoholism, abuse, selfishness, greed... the list goes on and so does the pain. However, what's wonderful is to compare the years from both spectrums: 3rd/4th generation (punished for sin) VS. 1000 generations (blessed for faithfulness to God). To me, this shows the heart of God. He'll allow the consequences, but when we turn from those things and choose to love Him, the blessings are innumerable!
On a side note, I've actually reminded God of this promise. He knows that I love Him and now that I have kids, my heart is for them (and for their kids, and their kid's kids) to know Him and love Him, as well. Just from diving back into His Word, I am reminded that I can trust God and He will keep His word!
The last "love" verse was in Exodus 34:6-7a, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."
This was God's response to Moses after he asked to see God's glory. My Life Application Bible study note says it so well, "Notice God did not give Moses a vision of of his power and majesty, but rather of his love. God's glory is revealed in his mercy, grace, compassion, faithfulness, forgiveness, and justice." These qualities and characteristics ARE what make up God's glory!
What a great way to end my study today.
I praise you God, for YOU ARE GLORIOUS!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Genesis
Day One's search for Love --
I never expected what I read today. All I can say is WOW! and OUCH!
The very first mention of the word, "Love" is found in Genesis 20:13 where (while traveling) Abraham tells his wife, Sarah, to lie and say that she is his sister. Why? You ask. To protect himself! You see, Sarah was beautiful and he feared he'd be killed if anyone found out she was his wife. What really struck me, though, was the words he used. He said to Sarah, "This is how you can show you love me: Everywhere we go, say of me, 'He is my brother.'" So, here's this God-fearing man, a man who 'believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,' not only lying, but telling his wife to do the same to prove her love for him!?! Can you say, manipulation??
(Note, that he pulled this one more than once!!)
The second mention is actually where I thought this whole journey would begin - at the scene where Abraham is willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, whom he loved (Gen. 22:2). As I ponder this request of God (since He wouldn't have been for the pagan practice of human sacrifice), I am convinced God was testing Abraham's allegiance. Would Abraham be willing to lay down the one thing he treasured most? Would he entrust Isaac to God? Clearly he would and God quickly intervened by providing a ram in his place.
My "Life Application Bible's" study note hit me right between the eyes. It reads, "Notice the parallel between the ram offered on the altar as a substitute for Isaac and Christ offered on the cross as a substitute for us. Whereas God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, God did not spare his own Son, Jesus, from dying on the cross. If Jesus had lived, the rest of humankind would have died. God sent his only Son to die for us so that we can be spared from the eternal death we deserve and instead receive eternal life." ... Enough said!
Genesis 24:67 took me to my next "Love" stop. This is where Rebekah became Isaac's wife, and 'he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.' Love is definitely a comfort in life. I think of my own husband and how he's continuously comforted me through my own trials and tribulations. Life is better with another, that's for sure.
But here's another spot where my search got interesting and even a little bit disconcerting. In Genesis 25:28 we read that Isaac had two sons (twins - Esau and Jacob). Esau was born first, but Jacob came out of the womb literally clasping at his heel!! Crazy stuff. If you read the verses before you'll see that Rebekah sought the Lord on why there was such tussling in her pregnant belly. The Lord revealed that she had two nations in her womb and that the older would serve the younger. Anyway, in verse 28 I learned something interesting: Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob. Clearly they had their favorites. I can only imagine how this helped to create even more love amongst the twins.
I moved on to Genesis 29:17-20, 30-33 and the drama got even richer. I learned that Jacob had left his homeland and headed to his uncle's land in Haran. Note that Uncle Laban was the brother of Jacob's mother, Rebekah. Upon his arrival Jacob meets cousin Rachel and the sparks fly. Uncle Laban allows Jacob to work for seven years to get Rachel as his wife, but when the time comes for them to marry Laban tricks him. He gives him his firstborn daughter, Leah, instead. Isn't deceit fun? Of course Jacob says something, and after the bridal week with Leah is complete, Uncle Laban gives him Rachel as his second wife. However, he had to work for seven more years to keep her!!
"Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah."
Reading this verse made me sad for Leah. In verse 17 it said that Leah had 'weak eyes but Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful.' As I continued to read, it was clear there was no sisterly affection in this household. Reading on it's clear God saw it all as well. "When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren."
Leah went on to name her firstborn son, Reuban - 'because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.' She conceived again and named this son, Simeon - 'because the Lord heard that I'm not loved.' Her third son's name was, Levi - 'now at last my husband will become attached to me.' What was incredibly interesting to me was that by son #4, Leah seemed to get it. This time she named him Judah - 'this time I will praise the Lord!'
Leah realized that it was God who loved her, and (for the time being) His love was enough.
(If you read on, the "how many kids can you bear" feud continued and Leah bore 2 more sons).
The last several places where the word "love" was mentioned involved Jacob and his blatant favoritism toward Joseph and Benjamin, Rachel's only two sons. Many of us know what that favoritism did amongst the brothers. The older brothers sold Joseph into slavery! Oh, such love!
So, you may be asking... what exactly did you learn through all of this??
Well, it's easy really. I learned that if the heroes of the Bible could lie, deceive, manipulate, compete, fight, love and not love, favor and reject, and all around hurt each other WHAT AM I DOING looking to another human being to make me feel loved?? Clearly people are people, and not much has changed through the ages! Without the Holy Spirit directing our steps we are pretty darn selfish and wretched! And that includes myself!
So, once again, all I can say is WOW! and OUCH!
Next stop, Exodus...
I never expected what I read today. All I can say is WOW! and OUCH!
The very first mention of the word, "Love" is found in Genesis 20:13 where (while traveling) Abraham tells his wife, Sarah, to lie and say that she is his sister. Why? You ask. To protect himself! You see, Sarah was beautiful and he feared he'd be killed if anyone found out she was his wife. What really struck me, though, was the words he used. He said to Sarah, "This is how you can show you love me: Everywhere we go, say of me, 'He is my brother.'" So, here's this God-fearing man, a man who 'believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,' not only lying, but telling his wife to do the same to prove her love for him!?! Can you say, manipulation??
(Note, that he pulled this one more than once!!)
The second mention is actually where I thought this whole journey would begin - at the scene where Abraham is willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, whom he loved (Gen. 22:2). As I ponder this request of God (since He wouldn't have been for the pagan practice of human sacrifice), I am convinced God was testing Abraham's allegiance. Would Abraham be willing to lay down the one thing he treasured most? Would he entrust Isaac to God? Clearly he would and God quickly intervened by providing a ram in his place.
My "Life Application Bible's" study note hit me right between the eyes. It reads, "Notice the parallel between the ram offered on the altar as a substitute for Isaac and Christ offered on the cross as a substitute for us. Whereas God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, God did not spare his own Son, Jesus, from dying on the cross. If Jesus had lived, the rest of humankind would have died. God sent his only Son to die for us so that we can be spared from the eternal death we deserve and instead receive eternal life." ... Enough said!
Genesis 24:67 took me to my next "Love" stop. This is where Rebekah became Isaac's wife, and 'he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.' Love is definitely a comfort in life. I think of my own husband and how he's continuously comforted me through my own trials and tribulations. Life is better with another, that's for sure.
But here's another spot where my search got interesting and even a little bit disconcerting. In Genesis 25:28 we read that Isaac had two sons (twins - Esau and Jacob). Esau was born first, but Jacob came out of the womb literally clasping at his heel!! Crazy stuff. If you read the verses before you'll see that Rebekah sought the Lord on why there was such tussling in her pregnant belly. The Lord revealed that she had two nations in her womb and that the older would serve the younger. Anyway, in verse 28 I learned something interesting: Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob. Clearly they had their favorites. I can only imagine how this helped to create even more love amongst the twins.
I moved on to Genesis 29:17-20, 30-33 and the drama got even richer. I learned that Jacob had left his homeland and headed to his uncle's land in Haran. Note that Uncle Laban was the brother of Jacob's mother, Rebekah. Upon his arrival Jacob meets cousin Rachel and the sparks fly. Uncle Laban allows Jacob to work for seven years to get Rachel as his wife, but when the time comes for them to marry Laban tricks him. He gives him his firstborn daughter, Leah, instead. Isn't deceit fun? Of course Jacob says something, and after the bridal week with Leah is complete, Uncle Laban gives him Rachel as his second wife. However, he had to work for seven more years to keep her!!
"Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah."
Reading this verse made me sad for Leah. In verse 17 it said that Leah had 'weak eyes but Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful.' As I continued to read, it was clear there was no sisterly affection in this household. Reading on it's clear God saw it all as well. "When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren."
Leah went on to name her firstborn son, Reuban - 'because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.' She conceived again and named this son, Simeon - 'because the Lord heard that I'm not loved.' Her third son's name was, Levi - 'now at last my husband will become attached to me.' What was incredibly interesting to me was that by son #4, Leah seemed to get it. This time she named him Judah - 'this time I will praise the Lord!'
Leah realized that it was God who loved her, and (for the time being) His love was enough.
(If you read on, the "how many kids can you bear" feud continued and Leah bore 2 more sons).
The last several places where the word "love" was mentioned involved Jacob and his blatant favoritism toward Joseph and Benjamin, Rachel's only two sons. Many of us know what that favoritism did amongst the brothers. The older brothers sold Joseph into slavery! Oh, such love!
So, you may be asking... what exactly did you learn through all of this??
Well, it's easy really. I learned that if the heroes of the Bible could lie, deceive, manipulate, compete, fight, love and not love, favor and reject, and all around hurt each other WHAT AM I DOING looking to another human being to make me feel loved?? Clearly people are people, and not much has changed through the ages! Without the Holy Spirit directing our steps we are pretty darn selfish and wretched! And that includes myself!
So, once again, all I can say is WOW! and OUCH!
Next stop, Exodus...
Monday, October 24, 2011
It's Time...
It's not easy to admit this, but as long as I can remember I've been insecure. Although I am a Believer I have been guilty of looking to people to make me feel wanted, loved and valued. Heck, 'people pleaser' should be my middle name!
I would definitely say I like myself, but throughout the years (and probably because of rejection and thus fear) I've struggled with consistently believing and resting in God's love for me. The truth is I know He loves me, that He died for me, that I am bought with the blood and covered, BUT this knowledge has often remained in my head. I'm ready to move these truths from my head to my heart.
The Lord says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity"(Jeremiah 29:13-14).
And with these words in mind, so begins my personal journey...
Today I opened 3 different Bible concordances and printed off the sections under Love(s) -- Loved, Lovely, Loving and Loving-Kindness. My plan is to look up each verse (starting from Genesis and moving forward) and journal anything that bounces off the page to touch my heart.
If you want to join me, feel free to come along...
I'm hopeful that by the end of this quest I will not only know that God loves me, I will know it completely... From (my) Head 2 (my) Heart!
I would definitely say I like myself, but throughout the years (and probably because of rejection and thus fear) I've struggled with consistently believing and resting in God's love for me. The truth is I know He loves me, that He died for me, that I am bought with the blood and covered, BUT this knowledge has often remained in my head. I'm ready to move these truths from my head to my heart.
The Lord says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity"(Jeremiah 29:13-14).
And with these words in mind, so begins my personal journey...
Today I opened 3 different Bible concordances and printed off the sections under Love(s) -- Loved, Lovely, Loving and Loving-Kindness. My plan is to look up each verse (starting from Genesis and moving forward) and journal anything that bounces off the page to touch my heart.
If you want to join me, feel free to come along...
I'm hopeful that by the end of this quest I will not only know that God loves me, I will know it completely... From (my) Head 2 (my) Heart!
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