Old Testament reading: Exodus 1-3
(Take an extra 2-3 minutes and include chapter 4 in today’s reading to maintain the context.) “There arose a king who did not know Joseph” (Ex 1:8). Thus ends the good days of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt and begins the oppression and suffering of Israel in Egypt. A common error concerning Israel’s period of persecution in Egypt is to think their affliction would last 400 years. This misconception comes from assigning the 400 years of Genesis 15:13 to Israel’s affliction as opposed to the sojourn of Abraham and his descendants. The apostle Paul is clear that the giving of the Law of Moses came 430 years after God made his promise to Abraham. Unlike Genesis 15:13, there is no other way to interpret Paul’s statement regarding the time. Also in today’s text is seen God’s call to Moses to bring up His children from Egypt. Despite Moses’ greatness, we find him to be less than thrilled with his call and quite unwilling to go. Offering one excuse after another, each one of Moses’ objections are quickly and patiently answered by God, even to the giving of miraculous abilities to show God as his sending authority. Despite all of God’s answers, Moses finally says, ‘Please send someone else’ (4:13). This is when God’s patience ran out (4:14). We can learn that God can be patient as we question and sort through our responsibilities, but at some point the talking and questions have to stop and the command to go must be obeyed.
New Testament reading: Mark 13-14
“Rend your hearts and not your garments.” So said the prophet in Joel 2:13. The tearing of one’s garments was an outward sign of great grief or mental anguish (cf Genesis 37:29-34). In today’s reading, we see the high priest’s hypocrisy as he tore his garments upon hearing Jesus’ confession that He was indeed “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed.” The truth of the matter is this – rather than being grieved, the high priest couldn’t have been any happier, for with Jesus’ confession he had all he needed to finally rid himself of this troublesome teacher from Nazareth. Many people wail and shed “crocodile tears” when they are not truly repentant, but are instead are offering nothing more than an outward display of penitence. Only godly sorrow produces repentance (2 Cor 7:10).
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