Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 4
Exodus 17:7
02/01/2024
7 And he called the name of the place Massah and
Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people
of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by
saying, ``Is the LORD among us or not? '' (ESV)
The children of Israel, having left Egypt, were in the
desert of the Sinai peninsula. There, seeing no water, they
grumbled against Moses and against God. Although they were in
the presence of the Almighty, and had seen His mighty hand
deliver them from the Egyptians, they had no faith.
Moses prayed for God's help, and was instructed by God to
strike a rock with his staff. Water gushed out of the rock, and
the children of Israel were satisfied.
Moses recorded in Exodus:
And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,
because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and
because they tested the LORD by saying, ``Is the LORD
among us or not? ''
Every time this story is related, we see that God does not
give what we deserve, but blesses us out of His love, grace, and
mercy. Rather than punishing the children of Israel for their
lack of faith, He acted on their behalf.
Moses named the camp ``Massah,'' which means ``temptation,''
and Meribah, which means ``strife.'' These names remind us of
our sin and God's mercy.
May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him for all good,
and to hold firmly to Him even when we are in difficulty, knowing
He will provide all we need. Amen.Author: admin
Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 3: 01/31/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 3
Exodus 17:4-6
01/31/2024
4 So Moses cried to the LORD, ``What shall I do with
this people? They are almost ready to stone me.''
5 And the LORD said to Moses, ``Pass on before the
people, taking with you some of the elders of
Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which
you struck the Nile, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock
at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water
shall come out of it, and the people will drink.''
And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of
Israel. (ESV)
The children of Israel were camped at Rephidim near the
eastern shore of the Red Sea. There was no water in that place,
so they rebelled against Moses. In grumbling about Moses, they
were showing a lack of faith in God.
Moses was in a quandary. He needed to do something, but he
also knew any solution was beyond his abilities. In faith he
prayed to the LORD:
So Moses cried to the LORD, ``What shall I do with this
people? They are almost ready to stone me.'' And the
LORD said to Moses, ``Pass on before the people, taking
with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your
hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at
Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall
come out of it, and the people will drink.'' And Moses
did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
It is perfectly fine to ask God for His divine guidance when
we are in trouble. Indeed, the Psalmist wrote, ``Call upon Me in
the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify
Me.''1 In faith, we trust in God to supply us with all we need.
May our Lord grant us such faith, especially in times of
trouble and despair. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 2: 01/30/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 2
Exodus 17:2-3
01/30/2024
2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and
said, ``Give us water to drink.'' And Moses said
to them, ``Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you
test the LORD?''
3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the
people grumbled against Moses and said, ``Why did
you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our
children and our livestock with thirst?'' (ESV)
The children of Israel had left Egypt several weeks earlier.
Throughout their exodus from slavery they witnessed miracles and
the presence of God. He traveled with them in a pillar of cloud
by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yet, when confronted with
the problem of having no water, they turned away from God and
complained.
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said,
``Give us water to drink.'' And Moses said to them,
``Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the
LORD?'' But the people thirsted there for water, and
the people grumbled against Moses and said, ``Why did
you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our
children and our livestock with thirst?''
Although they targeted Moses as their leader, their
complaint was with God. They failed this test of faith, desiring
to return to being slaves rather than trusting the LORD.
Often, when we face difficulties, we grumble against God.
We don't trust Him, we think we deserve better treatment, we
demand our own way. The sin of the children of Israel is also
our sin.
Anytime we focus on ourselves rather than on God's goodness,
we become dissatisfied. We demand what we think we deserve, not
admitting that we deserve His eternal wrath and punishment. What
we receive is His love, grace, and mercy.
We will see this truth as we continue the story.
May our Lord grant us faith and patience during our trials
and tribulations, that we trust in Him alone. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 1: 01/29/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 1
Exodus 17:1
01/29/2024
1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved
on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according
to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at
Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to
drink. (ESV)
The theme of this week's readings in the Divine Service at
Trinity was, ``grace is undeserved.'' Each of the readings
focused on God's gracious gifts of physical or spiritual
blessings, which He gives even when we grumble against Him. As
sinners, as ones who by nature turn from God, we deserve His
wrath and punishment. However, God does not delight in the death
of a sinner, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our
sin. We are given the forgiveness which we cannot earn. With
the forgiveness of sins comes everlasting life.
Our Old Testament lesson, from the seventeenth chapter of
Exodus, speaks of the earliest weeks after the children of Israel
left Egypt. `` All the congregation of the people of Israel
moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the
commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no
water for the people to drink.''
Consider what had happened to the children of Israel in the
preceding weeks. They watched while the firstborn of Egypt died.
They crossed the Red Sea on dry land, only to see Pharaoh's army
drown as they tried to follow them. They saw God as a pillar of
cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
This week we will see how, in the face of God's glory, His
chosen people were not satisfied with His blessings.
May our Lord grant that we recognize God's rich grace, and
that He gives us thankful hearts to acknowledge Him. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 5: 01/26/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 5
Exodus 34:34-35
01/26/2024
34 Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak
with him, he would remove the veil, until he came
out. And when he came out and told the people of
Israel what he was commanded,
35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses,
that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again,
until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)
We read in Exodus:
Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with
him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And
when he came out and told the people of Israel what he
was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face
of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he
went in to speak with him.
On Transfiguration Sunday we saw Jesus shining because He is
true God. We learned that Moses veiled himself because the
Israelites were afraid to see the reflection of God's glory
because they were sinners. Do we ask Jesus to veil Himself for
the same reason?
Our Lord does hide Himself in the spoken and visible Word.
Each time we hear the Gospel, ``For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might
be saved through him,''1 we see God's glory hidden in the words.
We believe, teach, and confess that Jesus will, on some unknown
day, fully reveal God's glory when He returns to judge the living
and the dead.
Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning
at 9:00 a.m. to learn more of our loving, gracious God, who
desires that you behold Him in the fullness of His glory forever.
Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 4: 01/25/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 4
Exodus 34:34-35
01/25/2024
34 Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak
with him, he would remove the veil, until he came
out. And when he came out and told the people of
Israel what he was commanded,
35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses,
that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again,
until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)
The shine on Moses' face, the reflected glory of God, did
not fade away. Moses continued to speak with God, not on the
mountain, but in the tabernacle, the tent which represented the
presence of God.
Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with
him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And
when he came out and told the people of Israel what he
was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face
of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he
went in to speak with him.
In order to be accessible to the people, Moses had to cover
his face. Otherwise, his shining face would constantly remind
everyone that they had sinned, that they could not stand in God's
presence. God's glory was hidden.
Today, chaplains are often asked to put a veil on the truth
of God's righteousness. They are encouraged to offer generic
prayers, addressed in a way that leaves doubt as to whom they are
speaking. But such prayers do not offend the sinner, for God's
glory is hidden.
Does hiding God's glory, His grace and mercy, serve the
sinner for eternity? Or should we gaze upon the glory of Jesus
Christ, and boldly proclaim His redemption? Confronted with our
sin, we confess that sin and hold in faith to Jesus as the One
who gives us eternal life.
May our Lord give us the courage to look upon His grace and
mercy, to see His glory reflected in the love given by Jesus
Christ. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 3: 01/24/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 3
Exodus 34:32-33
01/24/2024
32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and
he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken
with him in Mount Sinai.
33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he
put a veil over his face. (ESV)
Moses, having received the tablet of the Law from God,
descended from Mount Sinai. His face shown with the reflected
glory of God. The leaders of the people, and the children of
Israel, were afraid of Moses because He had changed having been
in the presence of the Holy One.
Aaron and the leaders of the people eventually approached
Moses to hear what God had said.
Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he
commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in
Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with
them, he put a veil over his face.
Sinners, confronted with God's holiness, cannot see His face
and live. Sinners, even confronted with the reflection of God's
glory, are terrified. Even today, when people see a pastor in a
clerical collar away from the church, they are uncomfortable,
change their speech, and avoid talking to God's representative.
We see our sin, and we know we are unworthy.
This is why God works through humble earthly elements to
bring you the good news of His love, grace, and mercy. We can't
tolerate the fullness of His glory, so He comes to us in His
Word, in the water of baptism, in the bread and wine of the
Lord's Supper, and the pronouncement of forgiveness given at
Jesus' command. Even Jesus hid the fullness of His glory,
humbling Himself as a servant, taking upon Himself our sins.
May our Lord give us the vision to see Him hidden in His
Word and Sacraments for our salvation. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 2: 01/23/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 2
Exodus 34:30-31
01/23/2024
30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and
behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were
afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the
leaders of the congregation returned to him, and
Moses talked with them. (ESV)
After Moses had broken the tablets of God's Law in righteous
anger when he saw the children of Israel worshiping the golden
calf, God called him back onto Mount Sinai to receive again the
Ten Commandments. Moses was in the presence of God, and saw a
glimpse of His glory. Even with just a glimpse, Moses' face
reflected God's glory when he returned to the camp where the
people waited.
Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and
behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were
afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and
Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned
to him, and Moses talked with them.
When we are confronted with God's presence, even the
reflection of God's glory, we tremble in fear. On the day when
Adam first sinned, Eve and he hid from God in shame. The
children of Israel had seen the cloud of God's presence on the
top of the mountain, and saw the effect being in God's presence
reflected in Moses' face. Sinners who are reminded of God and
His holiness flee because they are made aware of their
unrighteousness.
Yet Moses had the good news of God's love to proclaim to the
children of Israel. Rather than fleeing, Moses asked the leaders
to come forward and hear what God had spoken.
May our Lord grant that we may hear His Word, and know that,
through Jesus, we are declared righteous in God's sight. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 1: 01/22/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 1
Exodus 34:29
01/22/2024
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the
two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he
came down from the mountain, Moses did not know
that the skin of his face shone because he had
been talking with God. (ESV)
The weeks following Christmas are called the Epiphany Season
in the churches which follow the liturgical cycle of the Church
Year. From the visit of the Wise Men as they gave their gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus, to our Lord's
baptism in the Jordan River, to His first miracle of changing
water into wine, the season focuses on revealing Jesus as true
God. In keeping with an older practice, in the congregations
where the historic series of readings are used, this past Sunday
was the last Sunday of Epiphany.
Lutherans, from around 1525, have celebrated the
Transfiguration of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of His
divinity. The Father's voice which declared Jesus as His beloved
Son at baptism makes the same proclamation while Peter, James,
and John looked in awe at the shining face of Jesus. Therefore,
we have moved this commemoration from August 6 to the end of the
Epiphany Season.
Sunday's Old Testament lesson shows how Moses reflected the
glory of being in the presence of God on Mount Sinai.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two
tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down
from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of
his face shone because he had been talking with God.
Being in the presence of God, seeing the glimpse of God's
glory as He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, caused Moses' face
to shine.
May our Lord grant us the wisdom to see His glory revealed
in the Word of God, and give to us the blessings of His grace.
Amen.Seeing God’s Back — Part 5: 01/19/2024
Seeing God's Back - Part 5
Exodus 33:21-23
01/19/2024
21 And the LORD said, ``Behold, there is a place by
me where you shall stand on the rock,
22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a
cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my
hand until I have passed by.
23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see
my back, but my face shall not be seen. (ESV)
Moses, seeking to see God's glory, was shown His back.
And the LORD said, ``Behold, there is a place by me
where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory
passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I
will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my
back, but my face shall not be seen.
When the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle, when the
glory of the LORD filled the Temple, no one was able to enter.
When Isaiah saw the throne room of Heaven, he said, ``Woe is me!
For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts!''4 Saint Paul reminds us that we do not
see the full glory of the LORD, ``For now we see in a mirror
dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall
know fully, even as I have been fully known.''5
We behold the glory of the LORD through the spoken and
visible Word of God. In the Word and Sacraments we are shown the
fullness of God's grace, love, and mercy. We are shown Jesus,
and given faith in Him as our Redeemer from sin and death.
Though dimly, we see the Son of God and have life everlasting.
Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning
at 9:00 a.m. to learn more of God's rich love as revealed in
Jesus Christ. May you continue to receive our Lord's richest
blessings. Amen.
____________________
4. Isaiah 6:5 (ESV)
5. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV)