Inside Out Living

“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice” – Proverbs 12:15 (NIV)

Have you ever found yourself asking for advice and yet you have already concluded in your mind what you think should be done? This is precisely the situation that the leaders of Israel were in. When Jeremiah gave the answer from the Lord, they concluded that Jeremiah must be lying since it didn’t match what they thought the Lord would say.

Seeking wisdom and counsel does absolutely no good if you don’t listen to it. Routinely we are instructed in Proverbs to seek and listen to counsel.

While none of us can know exactly what the future will hold, it seems that a principle in life is that you will suffer consequences if you ignore wise counsel. It was true for Solomon’s son Rehoboam who lost control of 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel because he ignored wise counsel. It was true for the remnant of Israel who ignored Jeremiah and suffered their fate in Egypt.

Ever since the kingdom of Israel became divided under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12), the kings of both Israel and Judah led God’s people through a downward spiral of idolatry and disobedience. This had resulted in Israel no longer being a major player on the world political scene as it had been under David and Solomon. We see in Jeremiah 37 that the only relief Israel had from the Babylonians was when Egypt threatened to attack. While this gave Judah some hope, Jeremiah was quick to point out that trusting in Egypt was a false hope.

False hope can be quite devastating. As we see in the Old Testament, anytime God’s people trusted anyone or anything other than the Lord, it resulted in a false hope. I think this is a key lesson for us to glean from the Old Testament. Anytime we trust someone other than the Lord, including ourselves, for our salvation or for the strength to battle temptation, it will result in tragedy.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” – John 14:6

In today’s reading, Isaiah warns God’s people about relying on outside help for their salvation. Israel as a small nation was weak at this point in history because of civil war and rebelliousness toward God. It was tempting to rely on Egypt’s help in battling the Assyrians instead of relying solely on the Lord.

These international relationships and the need for Israel as a nation to rely on the Lord (Isa. 31:1) is representative of our need to rely on the Lord for our own salvation.

Our salvation is based in the Lord and our standing as righteous before Him is because of the work of Christ and His imputed righteousness in our life. However, many times we attempt to attain righteousness through our own efforts. Any time we add lists of dos and don’ts to our relationship with God, it makes our faith about earning righteousness.

May you begin to see your salvation as complete in the work of Christ, and that you cannot do more than He has already done.

During this week you will read over two thirds of Deuteronomy. Some of it will be repetitive to portions of Exodus and Leviticus. This is where the name for the book comes from. In Greek deutero means second, and nomos means law, therefore the name Deuteronomy means second law or second giving of the law.

And our theme for this week is New Beginnings, for as Moses reiterates the law, Israel is on the verge of a grand new beginning in the Promised Land.

The first three chapters of Deuteronomy recap the last forty years of wilderness
wanderings. The whole book is Moses’ final message to Israel and, in this opening section, his purpose is to remind them of how they got to this point.

Remembering our past is an important part of moving forward into the future. For Israel, remembering what God had done was essential. When Israel forgot the mighty deeds God had done in rescuing them out of Egypt, His provision in the wilderness, and His placement of them in the Promised Land; then Israel would stray from their covenant relationship with Him.

Remembering is important for us too. Christians can forget how lost in sin we were before receiving Christ. This forgetfulness is dangerous because it can develop within us a sense of entitlement to God’s grace. Then we begin to see ourselves as righteous when, without the work of Christ, our righteousness is like filthy rages. Rather, if we can remember how sinful we truly are, then we will see God’s grace as the unmerited favor that it is.

I have overseen a few short term mission trips with teenagers, and am preparing for the next one right now. It has been my experience that the most important rule for keeping the group together and focused is that there is no complaining. Anytime you choose to follow the Lord’s leading there will be some form of sacrifice associated with it. Whining or complaining communicates an unwillingness to make that sacrifice.

It is obvious here that many of the Israelites and the foreigners who were with them had reached their limit of personal sacrifice and had begun to complain. They were prepared to return to slavery in Egypt because the sacrifice was too great.

Returning to slavery may sound silly to us. Personal freedom is worth the sacrifice, isn’t it? While this may be true, how often are we tempted to return to being slaves to sin because the sacrifice of following Christ is too great? As you follow Christ, remember his sacrifice, and what he gave up to secure your salvation.

Exodus 10:1-2 really sums up the whole theme for this week’s devotionals. The hardness of Pharaoh’s heart allowed God to demonstrate His power through miracles among the Egyptians.

However during this time I would imagine that Moses and Aaron experienced some frustration as Pharaoh would repeatedly change his mind about letting them go. Moses and Aaron had to hold to the bigger perspective that God had given them. Could you imagine the history of Israel without the plagues of Egypt and God’s great deliverance? Time and time again God would remind His people of the great signs and wonders He did in Egypt. If Pharaoh had been a push-over, then God’s people would have no concept of His power and ability to deliver. There was indeed a bigger perspective in place.

Could it be that the times when it seems God is delaying an answer to prayer or is not delivering you from a situation that He is working with a bigger perspective?

The Israelites had lived under Egyptian oppression for a long time, so it was not difficult for Moses and Aaron to convince the leaders of Israel that God had sent them to free His people (4:31). They were convinced, that is, until things got difficult. Following Moses’ and Aaron’s first request for freedom, Pharaoh ordered their workload increased. This turned Israel against Moses and Aaron (5:21). Pharaoh showed his power by taking action, while God invited Moses, Aaron and all Israel to believe in His power to deliver them.

Do you find yourself ever trusting in the power of what you can see or touch rather than in God’s power? Are you like the Israelites who doubted God’s power to deliver when life becomes difficult? I think that God performed the plagues, not only to show His power to Pharaoh, but to His own people as well. What more does God have to do to prove His power to you?