Seeing God's Back - Part 4
Exodus 33:21-23
01/18/2024
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, desiring to know more about God, asked, ``Please show
me Your glory.'' God, in His mercy, explained that a sinner
cannot see the face of God and live. Yet He was willing to show
Moses as much of His glory as possible.
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.
This is not the only time that the glory of the Lord was
revealed to the children of Israel. When the children of Israel
finished constructing the tabernacle, the glory of the LORD
filled it so that no one was able to enter the tent.1 When
Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem, the glory of the LORD
again filled it so that the Levites could not enter to serve the
LORD.2 Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord leave the Temple as the
children of Israel were led into captivity.3
The true glory of the Lord was revealed to us on the cross
of Calvary. The Son of God, in His humility and shame, revealed
His glory at the words ``It is finished.'' The glory of the Lord
is our salvation from sin and death.
God grant that we behold His glory through Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen.
____________________
1. Exodus 40:34
2. 1 Kings 8:11
3. Ezekiel 10:18Author: admin
Seeing God’s Back — Part 3: 01/17/2024
Seeing God's Back - Part 3
Exodus 33:21-23
01/17/2024
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, desiring to know more about God, asked, ``Please show
me Your glory.'' God, in His mercy, explained that a sinner
cannot see the face of God and live. Yet He was willing to show
Moses as much of His glory as possible.
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.
Moses saw God's back. God's face was hidden. Yet, even
with this glimpse of God's glory, Moses was overwhelmed. He
truly knew of God's love, grace, and mercy. The all-creating
Lord showed Moses enough of His glory that Moses was able to lead
the rebellious children of Israel for the next forty years.
Unlike the other prophets, Moses was in the presence of God,
he did not simply see visions or hear God's voice. Isaiah and
Ezekiel saw angels, and David wrote the Psalms under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but they did not behold even
God's back in same way as Moses.
This is more than an interesting story, for it impacts the
Church today. We will look at this more closely in the days to
come.
May our Lord grant that you see Him in His Son, Jesus
Christ. Amen.Seeing God’s Back — Part 2: 01/16/2024
Seeing God's Back - Part 2
Exodus 33:19-20
01/16/2024
19 And he said, ``I will make all my goodness pass
before you and will proclaim before you my name
`The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will
show mercy.
20 But, he said, you cannot see my face, for man
shall not see me and live.'' (ESV)
Moses, desiring to know more about God, asked, ``Please show
me Your glory.'' God replied:
And he said, ``I will make all my goodness pass before
you and will proclaim before you my name `The LORD.'
And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But, he
said, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me
and live.''
God, in His love, grace, and mercy, knows that sinners
cannot see His full glory and live. In our sinfulness, we cannot
comprehend His holiness, nor can we begin to view His face. In
the same way we cannot look directly at the sun without damaging
our eyes, we cannot look at God without losing our lives.
However, God is merciful and will reveal Himself, as much as
He can, to those who have faith in Him. Jesus, the Son of God,
revealed that God so loved the world that He would sacrifice His
only-begotten Son in order that people would be saved from sin
and death. In Heaven, which is God's gracious gift to those who
are faithful to Him in this life, we will behold His face.
We do see God's face in Jesus, who hid Himself in our flesh
to live, die, and rise again for our salvation. In this way, God
gives us His undeserved love and mercy. Through Christ Jesus He
calls us to be with Himself, even as our first parents were with
Him in the Garden of Eden.
May you know the love of our Father through Jesus Christ,
His Son. Amen.Seeing God’s Back — Part 1: 01/15/2024
Seeing God's Back - Part 1
Exodus 33:17-18
01/15/2024
17 And the LORD said to Moses, ``This very thing that
you have spoken I will do, for you have found
favor in my sight, and I know you by name.''
18 Moses said, ``Please show me your glory.'' (ESV)
The Epiphany season, the portion of the Church Year between
Christmas and Lent, is a time when the Church learns that Jesus
is both true God and true man. He is revealed as God's Son and
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world during His
baptism. Jesus first shows the world His divine power as
recorded by Saint John when He turned water into wine.
God has always interacted with His people. As Moses led the
children of Israel out of Egypt, God was with them. When the
children of Israel displeased God by making a golden calf, God
did not abandon them.
Moses prayed that God would continue to go with them as the
traveled from Mount Sinai to the promised land.
And the LORD said to Moses, ``This very thing that you
have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my
sight, and I know you by name.'' Moses said, ``Please
show me your glory.''
God knows each of us intimately, our strengths and our
weaknesses. As with Moses, He knows us by name, and desires that
we hold to Him in faith, no matter our circumstances. God grants
us His favor, His grace, love, and mercy, through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Son.
This week's Old Testament lesson from Exodus shows us how
sinners cannot fully comprehend God. Moses asked, ``Show me your
glory,'' so to learn more about God. The response, which we will
discuss this week, is surprising, especially as we see Jesus
revealed in His glory as our Savior. May our Lord richly bless
you and the work you are doing to serve God and neighbor. Amen.The Lord’s Chosen Servant — Part 5: 01/12/2024
The Lord's Chosen Servant - Part 5
Isaiah 42:5-7
01/12/2024
5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens
and stretched them out, who spread out the earth
and what comes from it, who gives breath to the
people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 ``I am the LORD; I have called you in
righteousness; I will take you by the hand and
keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the
people, a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the
prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those
who sit in darkness.'' (ESV)
God the Father recognized Jesus as His beloved Son when
Jesus was baptized to take upon Himself our sins. Isaiah wrote,
almost six hundred years before Jesus was baptized, about the
Father commissioning His Son as the Redeemer.
Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and
stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what
comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and
spirit to those who walk in it: ``I am the LORD; I have
called you in righteousness; I will take you by the
hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for
the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes
that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the
dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.''
Jesus showed that He is the righteous Son of God by
fulfilling the demands of God's Law on our behalf. He took our
sin and gave us His righteousness. This was for all people from
the beginning of time until our Lord returns to judge the living
and the dead.
The Gospel accounts in the New Testament are from
eyewitnesses who saw Jesus heal the blind, raise the dead, and
make the lame walk. By His death He defeated death, freeing us
from the prison of our sins.
There is much more to learn about Jesus than we can discuss
in these short devotions each morning. Please join us at Trinity
Lutheran Church on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. to hear more of
our Savior's love for you.
May our Lord grant you the peace of knowing your sins are
forgiven. Amen.The Lord’s Chosen Servant — Part 4: 01/11/2024
The Lord's Chosen Servant - Part 4
Isaiah 42:5-7
01/11/2024
5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens
and stretched them out, who spread out the earth
and what comes from it, who gives breath to the
people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 ``I am the LORD; I have called you in
righteousness; I will take you by the hand and
keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the
people, a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the
prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those
who sit in darkness.'' (ESV)
God the Father said ``This is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased,''3 when Jesus stepped out of the water after being
baptized by John. We believe, teach, and confess that the Father
sent His Son to take upon Himself the sins of all people.
Isaiah confessed that the Father, the LORD and creator of
heaven and earth, willingly gave His Son for our salvation.
Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and
stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what
comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and
spirit to those who walk in it: ``I am the LORD; I have
called you in righteousness; I will take you by the
hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for
the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes
that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the
dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.''
As we read and hear the words of the prophet Isaiah, we come
to know that God, out of His grace and mercy, created the heavens
and the earth. Because we are created and not the product of
random chance, we have the desire and ability to serve our
neighbor, to work for the good of others. Yet, because we have
sinned, we don't always act according to our beliefs.
May our heavenly Father grant us the desire to recognize Him
as our Creator, and give us the desire to live according to His
will. Amen.
____________________
3. Matthew 3:17The Lord’s Chosen Servant – Part 3: 01/10/2024
The Lord's Chosen Servant - Part 3
Isaiah 42:4
01/10/2024
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he
has established justice in the earth; and the
coastlands wait for his law. (ESV)
When John the Baptizer consented to baptize Jesus, our Lord
began His task of redeeming the world from sin and death. The
promise made to Adam, the curse given to the serpent on the day
that Adam sinned, is fulfilled in Jesus. God told the serpent:
``And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel.''2
From this first promise of a Savior, we know that He will
overcome Satan and restore all of creation. This salvation will
come at a great cost, not only on Good Friday, but for Jesus'
entire life. From the time of His birth, the devil and this
sinful world sought to put Him to death, to thwart Him in His
task of fulfilling God's Law perfectly on our behalf. Isaiah
wrote: ``He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has
established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his
law.''
Though hungry, homeless, and betrayed by His friends and
disciples, Jesus none the less held firm in His resolve to do His
Father's will. Where others would give up, Jesus alone took on
sin, death, and the power of the devil. When Jesus said from the
cross, ``It is finished,'' He had defeated those who would take
us away from God's love.
We praise and thank God, through Jesus Christ, that He did
not get discouraged, but that He died and rose again for all
people. May you find strength and comfort in Christ Jesus, who
bore all things patiently for your salvation. Amen.
____________________
2. Genesis 3:15 (KJV)The Lord’s Chosen Servant – Part 2: 01/09/2024
The Lord's Chosen Servant - Part 2
Isaiah 42:2-3
01/09/2024
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or
make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly
burning wick he will not quench; he will
faithfully bring forth justice. (ESV)
Many congregations celebrated Jesus' baptism last Sunday,
the First Sunday after the Epiphany. Jesus was baptized by John,
the forerunner of Christ, so to place Himself under the Law. In
so doing, He took upon Himself our transgressions and willingly
bore them to the cross.
God freely offers His love, mercy, and grace to all people.
He invites us to accept the gift He gives, the forgiveness of our
sins for the sake of the suffering, death, and resurrection of
Jesus. For this reason Jesus was born, was revealed to the Magi,
was baptized, was crucified, and rose again.
This offer of God's grace is a gentle invitation, not
demands where He comes with might and force to impose His will on
all people. Isaiah wrote of the Lord's Chosen Servant:
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it
heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will
faithfully bring forth justice.
The weakest faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and
death is saving faith. We are given eternal life because of
God's love, not because of our heroic deeds or great strength.
God gives us the forgiveness of sins for Christ Jesus' sake even
when we do not live the perfect, holy life. The truth is simple,
each Christian daily sins, is spite of our desire not to go
against God's law. Yet each day we are given the assurance that
Jesus took upon Himself our failures and has given us His
righteousness.
May our Lord continue to comfort us with the truth of His
grace, love, and mercy. Amen.The Lord’s Chosen Servant – Part 1: 01/08/2024
The Lord's Chosen Servant - Part 1
Isaiah 42:1
01/08/2024
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in
whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon
him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
(ESV)
Last Saturday the western Church celebrated the Feast of the
Epiphany, the revealing of Jesus as the Savior of the Gentiles as
well as the Jews. For the next several weeks our readings will
focus on Jesus being revealed as both true God and true Man, sent
by our heavenly Father to bear the guilt of our sin.
One of the traditional readings early in the Epiphany season
is the account of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River by John the
Baptizer. Here the three Persons of the Trinity are present as
Jesus is anointed with water to take upon Himself the sins of the
world.
The Old Testament lesson for this week, from the forty-
second chapter of Isaiah, introduces the Servant of the Lord, a
prophesy about Jesus. As in the accounts of Jesus' baptism,
Isaiah speaks of the Trinity.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my
soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will
bring forth justice to the nations.
When Jesus was baptized, the Father said from heaven, ``This
is my beloved Son, with whom I am will pleased,'' and the Holy
Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove.1 Jesus would
bring justice and righteousness to the nations by bearing the
sins of all people. Yet He brings salvation, not by force, but
by gentle invitation. ``Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at
hand,'' we heard both from John the Baptizer and Jesus, Himself.
The Kingdom He brings is of God's love, the gift of forgiveness
and eternal life.
May our Lord grant that we see in Jesus the Servant of the
Father who is revealed to us through the working of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
____________________
1. Matthew 3:16-17The Gentiles’ Christmas — 01/05/2024
The Gentiles' Christmas
Isaiah 60:1-3
01/05/2024
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the
glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and
thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will
arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon
you.
3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to
the brightness of your rising. (ESV)
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany when the Church
celebrates the Wise Men visiting Jesus. Epiphany comes from the
Greek word meaning sunrise or dawning. As such it has come to
mean an unveiling, a showing, or appearance of something
previously hidden. How fitting the meaning when the Old
Testament reading from Isaiah is remembered,
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of
the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness
shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be
seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
The day is called the ``Gentiles' Christmas'' because it is
the first time that the Bible records people outside the Jewish
community worshiping Jesus. Luke had recorded that Jewish
shepherds sought Jesus in the stable the night of His birth.
Simeon and Anna, both devout Jews, adored Jesus on the fortieth
day of His life when He was presented at the Temple. Now,
however, Jesus is shown as the Redeemer of all people, not simply
the biological descendants of Abraham.
Trinity Lutheran in Slayton and Saint Paul Lutheran in Fulda
are gathering tomorrow evening, January 6, at 7:00 p.m. to
celebrate this important Feast in the Church Year. Please join
us in this celebration.
We also invite you to join us on Sunday morning at Trinity
Lutheran in Slayton at 9:00 a.m. for the Divine Service where we
will commemorate the Baptism of Jesus.
May our Lord grant you the peace of knowing of His love,
grace, and mercy as found in Christ alone. Amen.