Samuel reminded the Israelites that a king would take all Archives

Exodus 12-15 Short Memories

We remember in Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh had said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel!” After ten plagues, you would have thought he would now know the true God, but Pharaoh is stubborn and resistant. He has lost his firstborn but foolishly thinks he is greater than the God of Israel.

In the meantime, the Israelites have left with riches untold, and God graciously provided an escape route for His people. But as often is the case, like them, we look back, not forward. How often are we blind to the riches that God has given us? The sight of the Egyptian armies scares them; they think there is escaping and begin to murmur. They murmured before when Pharaoh increased their workload and, just like then, so now they say to Moses, didn’t we say leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians? We have short memories. They and we would rather be like the Prodigal son and serve the pig master than the Mighty God. Yet, God is patient.

We wonder why God is so patient with us. The answer is because of His plan to show Himself strong, and He loves us more than we can understand. Also, the truth of Jer. 29:11 is still true: He has a plan not to harm us but to give us a future filled with hope.

john 19 nail2a John 19 When the Israelites cried for a king, Samuel reminded them that if they chose an earthly king he would take their lands, sons, and money. And as predicted, it happened under Saul, David and Solomon and other kings who followed. Not having learned from the past we hear the religious leaders cry “we have no king except Caesar!” And then with swirling minds we recall Caiaphas saying “it is to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” But Pilate understood their mindset; it was because of envy. This King Jesus had performed miracles such as healing the blind man and raising Lazarus from the dead yet they cried CRUCIFY HIM! They would have no righteous king but a faltering man of human frailties, Caesar.

And so with hardened hearts and stubborn spirits they got what they asked for; the crucifixion of this man who called himself the Son of God; the King of the Jews. The soldiers may have done the nailing but the religious leaders’ hypocrisy pounded each nail along with them.

In the stillness of the two men emerge from the shadows to redeem his crucified body. With great tenderness they remove it and wrap it with aromatic spices before they laid him in a tomb. Unlike the crowd or Caiaphas, they as silent disciples, revealed their hearts by how they responded; Jesus was their king.

Tag: Samuel reminded the Israelites that a king would take all

God is Patient

Who Is Your King?

Who is your king? Caesar or Jesus?

Are you like Caiaphas who refused to believe or are you in the shadows waiting to say I believe?

Come out the shadows and proclaim: Jesus is the King of Kings!