Old Testament reading: Psalm 95-101
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3). There is enough unavoidable wickedness in our world without intentionally adding more to our eyes. Remember! It is no more possible to “un-see” an evil thing than it is to “un-ring” a bell. What enters through our eyes finds a permanent place in our minds and hearts. Moreover, such wickedness, even that which is unintentional, can lie dormant for decades, only to be resurrected by some smell, visual image, or by hearing a single word or phrase. David also shuns the deeds of the apostates, saying, “it shall not cling to me.” Thus, our associations and attitudes must be guarded against evil and guided by Divine wisdom. This is why evil companions are to be avoided like the plague. One need not sit in the middle of the campfire to smell like smoke, and a man walking though a field of weeds need not seek cockleburs and beggar lice. These defilements will “find” and cling to you as you pass through.
New Testament reading: Acts 7-8
Speaking of when Moses killed the Egyptian (cf Ex 2:11-15), Stephen shines a light on God’s man Moses. Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), and his statement concerning Moses enlightens us concerning Moses’ frame of mind and his long view of his actions (Acts 7:24-25). There is no mention of Moses’ thoughts to deliver Israel in the original account, neither is such mentioned in any subsequent reference, that is, not until this one. This also makes Moses’ exchange with God in Exodus 3-4 more interesting. Forty years passed before God called Moses to do what he had intended to do a generation earlier. Perhaps Moses thought that after 40 years God had given up on using him as a deliverer. Maybe he thought by then he was too old or unfit. We will never know this side of eternity, but isn’t it wonderful how both Testaments shine light on the others to assist us in our understanding!
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