Tag-Archive for ◊ Israel ◊

11 Sep 2023 Exodus (Program #46)

Exodus (Program #46) – The Defeat of Amalek

To be sure, the Old Testament book of Exodus gives us a complete picture of God’s full salvation, from the Passover, a full type of our redemption in Christ to the feeding of God’s people with the heavenly manna and satisfying them from the flowing water from the smitten rock.  All of our genuine experiences of our Christian life are marvelously depicted.  But the picture will not be complete without the experience of the victory of Christ against the enemy of God’s people.  The battle is engaged on today’s program.

We have come to a point in Exodus that is very meaningful.  We are about to see God’s people, the nation of Israel engage in battle for the first time since their exodus out of Egypt.  Here are some excerpts of a few verses in chapter 17:8, 9, 10, 13 “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.  And Moses said to Joshua, Choose men for us, and go out; fight with Amalek…. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him and fought with Amalek…. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”  Some who has been following this life study closely may take issue with us in saying that this portion depict the first account of Israel fighting against the enemy.  Because they surely had an encounter with the army of Pharaoh on the occasion of their exit out of Egypt.  Why do we say that this is really their first battle?

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27 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #31)

Exodus (Program #31) – Israel’s Experience at Elim

When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt in the book of Exodus, their destination was ultimately northward to Canaan, the good land and the place of fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.  But He took them first far to the south, to the shores of the Red Sea, then after crossing the Red Sea, He led them south again to a place call Marah and then to Elim.  Surely this did not match their expectations.  God’s ways are not our ways.  Is He leading you south when you thought that you should be headed north?

The background of this message today is one that most of us can relate to, at least to some extend.  The children of Israel had just come through the miraculous events related to their exit out of Egypt; the Red Sea, the Passover, all the miracles in God’s dealing with Pharaoh.  By now they must have been expecting a swift and direct journey to the promised land, the Good Land.  more…

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25 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #29)

Exodus (Program #29) – Israel’s Crossing of the Red Sea

The children of Israel had two serious problems; God’s judgment and Pharaoh’s tyranny.  Although the Passover was adequate to save them from God’s judgment, it was not effective to rescue them from the usurpation of the Egyptians, to be saved from Pharaoh’s tyranny.  For this they needed the exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea.  Without the crossing of the Red Sea, there would have been no separating line.  Today we will consider the significance of crossing the Red Sea on this life study of the Bible.

Today we are going to look at a very well-known passage, the children of Israel are passing through the parted water of the Red Sea.  But we are going to see today from an angle that will likely be new to many of our listeners.  more…

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23 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #27)

Exodus (Program #27) – Israel’s Exodus from Egypt (2)

In the exodus of God’s people, the Lord appeared to them in a marvelous way to lead them in the path that He had chosen.  Exodus chapter 13:21-22 said “And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night departed from before the people.”  A cloud by day and a fire by night but always able to be seen.  This is our theme on today’s life study of the Bible.

We return to the book of Exodus today and the remarkable journey of God’s people out of the bondage of their worldly captivity and through the wilderness.  It has become more and more clear that their journey is really our own journey.

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22 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #26)

Exodus (Program #26) – Israel’s Exodus from Egypt (1)

In New Testament terms, to have an exodus is to get out of the world.  However, without the picture in the book of Exodus, it’s difficult to say just how we are to get out of the world.  Even to talk about it without consulting the picture may lead us into confusion.  How we thank the Lord for the picture and the ministry we have today to unveil this picture to us.

We are talking about an exodus from the world depicted for us graphically in the book of Exodus.  The way this picture is presented in this message is very illuminating and very compelling.  We need to realize that experiential many many believers today have experienced Christ as their Passover.  God has passover them, the blood of the Lamb has redeemed them from the righteous judgment of God, but they remained in Egypt, still needing to make an exodus, so that God’s purpose to have a dwelling place can be fulfilled.  more…

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20 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #24)

Exodus (Program #24) – The Passover (2)

The record of the Passover given in Exodus is very detailed.  No where else in Scriptures do we find such a detailed account of Christ’s redemption.  For His redemption is the clear message of the Passover.  The reason for all the detail is that God wants us to know the redemption of Christ in a thorough way.  It’s God intention is that we neither neglect or forget this redemption, but that we remember and appreciate it at all time, even in its marvelous details.

Our message today continues the one we had yesterday, dealing with the institution of the Passover feast for the children of Israel.  When we read these verses in Exodus 12 and 13, we can’t help but be impressed by all the detail.  Why is there such detail given in the Scriptures to this Old Testament matter of the Passover?

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17 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #21)

Exodus (Program #21) -The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

God’s people Israel spent hundreds of years in slavery and bondage in Egypt.  Ultimately, the Lord heard their cries and initiated through His called one Moses, a personal battle with Pharaoh.  During the course of this lengthy conflict, Pharaoh is repeatedly subdued only to have his heart harden again to resist the demand of Jehovah God to let His people go.  This is the stuff of great Sunday school lesson to be sure.  But does it hold a meaningful lesson for all of us?  For all serious believers?

We are considering a very difficult question that has been the source of theological debate over the centuries; that is the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Egypt.  During this long conflict between God and Pharaoh, at times we see God hardening Pharaoh’s heart and at other times Pharaoh harden his own heart.  more…

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10 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #14)

Exodus (Program #14) – Jehovah’s Name and His Covenant

In Exodus, the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh to demand that Pharaoh release God’s people from slavery.  But rather than yield to God’s demand, Pharaoh rebuffed, even humiliated Moses, a man of God.  A predictable discouragement followed and Moses complained openly to the Lord.  But the Lord shows this critical moment to reveal Himself to an even greater way to Moses, His called one.  Have you seen Jehovah, the great I AM in the midst of your setbacks?  Stay with us, as we get another view of our Savior God on today’s life study.

This is a very precious word today.  Moses was sent by the Lord to Pharaoh to make God’s demand to release the people known.  But he is rebuffed by Pharaoh and no doubt he was expecting a much different outcome.  At the end of chapter 5 he revealed his discouragement to the Lord and then the Lord responded by revealing His name to Mose. more…

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09 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #13)

Exodus (Program #13) – God’s Demand and Pharaoh’s Resistance (1)

During the captivities of God’s people, Israel, God had near direct dealing with the tyrannical Pharaoh as he held God’s people in against God’s demand to let them go.  Pharaoh in this ancient story represent God’s enemy, who resisted God’s demand and refused again and again. This story depicts not just the situation in that ancient time, today’s Pharaoh is still resisting God and occupying God’s people with so many distracting and enslaving items.

Today’s broadcast again brings us to the Old Testament book of Exodus.  As we look at this well-know battle between God and His enemy.  A battle that occupy some 10 chapters in Exodus.

In the section today covering God’s dealing with Pharaoh, many people know this passage of the Old Testament or at least some of the items in it.  But we will see something today that will be very fresh, very connected to our own experience of the Lord.

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29 Jul 2023 Exodus (Program #2)

Exodus (Program #2) – Israel Under Slavery

Exodus, the second book in the Bible begins with God’s people in a pitiful condition.  Enslaved by the evil Pharaoh and daily being killed under the tyranny of his heavy hand.  Exodus is the story of how God release His people from this bondage and it has a glorious conclusion.  The worldly people today are in a condition much like the children of Israel in Exodus.  The parallels are striking in this graphic Old Testament book of pictures.

When we come to this book, we often refer to it as a “picture book”.  We spoke a little about this in our program yesterday.  What do we mean when we say Exodus is a book of pictures?

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