Sunday, Ordinary 22/Proper 17-- Aug 30
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Meditation
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17 shed light on the encounters with God and the ability of the individual to both recognize the ‘God-encounter’ and understand the ‘directive.’ The Old Testament lesson led Moses to be a shepherd (he wasn’t a young man, either) of Jethro’s (Moses’ father-in-law and priest) herds. It was the responsibility of the shepherd to ‘know’ the table or landscape for his sheep. The 23rd Psalm spoke of the shepherd preparing the table or eating zone for the sheep. Moses was a good shepherd and knew the terrain, so when he saw a bush on fire, yet not being consumed; he recognized the uniqueness of the event. He didn’t flee from it but came close.
Moses was doing due diligence for his father-in-law. God was pleased with Moses’ response and called out to him, “Moses, Moses.”
I suspect if I heard my name called from a bush of fire that didn’t burn it up, I might not be quick to answer. I might tap my head and blink my eyes to see if I was seeing or hallucinating. But Moses didn’t hesitate.
He responded, “Here I am.”
God told him not to come closer but to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground. Why would taking off the sandals be significant to acknowledgment of holy ground? It was not specified. However, the New Testament Epistle of Romans may have brought some light on the subject. Romans 12 said we were to be living sacrifices of God. Sandals represented ‘dead animals’ and that which was impure. Stepping out of the impurity was a step towards purity, presenting oneself as a living vibrant sacrifice.
Moses also covered his face—fearing to look upon the purity of God. His instant respect for the holiness of God and recognition of his position of humbleness would have been appreciated by God. Moses was doing all the correct things.
God identified that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He explained having heard the cry of the Israelites it was time to help them return to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey.’ Cattle and bees. Both reflected the flourishing of the land. Bees help propagate. Cattle feed on the land to produce milk. If milk and honey were abundant, then the land was fertile and productive.
Moses’ humility and perhaps, fear, surfaced when he asked who he was supposed to say sent him and how would they recognize he was speaking the truth.
God simply said, “I am.” This was a God outside of space and time; more powerful than anyone could imagine; greater than all of creation and beyond the ability of humans to visualize. The One who exists and has no beginning or end. The ‘I am’–a forever present Being. A bit hard to get one’s head around it. Then he gave the word Yahweh (YHWH) which English speakers turned into Jehovah—but he explained that would be how he would be spoken of by the Hebrews.
The New Testament Gospel shared a conversation between Peter and Jesus. Peter was called, like Moses, but he hadn’t grasped the sacred of Jesus, yet. He saw him as a person. A friend. A rabbi/teacher. But he hadn’t clued into Jesus’ mission and the ‘Son of God’ aspect of Jesus, yet. So, when Jesus started talking about his death and sacrifice, Peter’s response was not to ask Jesus to explain, but to contradict him, “No way, Jesus.” Peter pulled Jesus aside and told him that God would never allow that to happen.
Peter didn’t recognize Jesus as God. He failed to honor the holiness of Jesus. He contradicted the plan that God was explaining. Instead of humbly asking what he was to do and how he could help, he used God’s name to say it wouldn’t happen. He declared something false and inappropriate. He was attributing Jesus’ words as false, when Peter was the one who was completely wrong. Peter didn’t recognize his encounter with God.
Jesus gave him some harsh words, “Get behind me, Satan.”
What can we learn from this? If Peter could be influenced by Satan, how much more could each of us be influenced? We must be in tune, like Moses was, to recognize the unique encounters with God and give the proper respect. Instead of being arrogant and prideful, we can be humble, resourceful, and ready. Moses was ready for God to use him. The question for each of us, ‘am I ready to encounter God and do service?’ When we can answer humbly, ‘yes’ then our hearts would be open to God working within us for the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 22, Proper 17
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus 3:1-15;Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b;Romans 12:9-21;Matthew 16:21-28&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=+Matthew+16:21-28&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6 Psalm 105:23-26 Psalm 105:45
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 124:8
King James Version (KJV)
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 3:1-15
King James Version (KJV)
3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, we need to learn so much more about you to be ready to recognize you when you reveal yourself to us. Moses was ready. Peter was not. Both had an encounter with you that taught us the importance of holiness and humility. Empower us to be ready for your service. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17 brought two saints of God into intimate encounters. Moses met God at the burning bush in the desert of Midian, while he tended flocks for his father-in-law the priest, who probably gave Moses many opportunities to study and worship. Peter, who jumped before thinking, often, had not yet understood the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice. He was still seeing Christ as taking over the political and cultural world. He hadn’t clued into the impending death of Jesus at the hands of the leaders. He hadn’t understood the words that Jesus told him.
Instead Peter argued that God would never do such a thing. Jesus knew differently and needed Peter to realize that he was being used of the devil at that moment. A believer. A disciple. An apostle being used of the devil.
I suspect the words, “Get behind me Satan” came as a great shock. We sometimes are knocked down before we can rise up to do the great work of God for his glory. But despite the fact that the devil was able to use Peter there, it didn’t mean forever. Peter was the rock of the church. He was going to ‘get it’ and would be pivotal to the leading of believers in the new way.
We must strive to ‘get it’ as Moses did and as Peter would, so we can be ready for God’s service.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
Please like if you are blessed and don’t hesitate to comment or contact me. I love hearing from you.
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17 shed light on the encounters with God and the ability of the individual to both recognize the ‘God-encounter’ and understand the ‘directive.’ The Old Testament lesson led Moses to be a shepherd (he wasn’t a young man, either) of Jethro’s (Moses’ father-in-law and priest) herds. It was the responsibility of the shepherd to ‘know’ the table or landscape for his sheep. The 23rd Psalm spoke of the shepherd preparing the table or eating zone for the sheep. Moses was a good shepherd and knew the terrain, so when he saw a bush on fire, yet not being consumed; he recognized the uniqueness of the event. He didn’t flee from it but came close.
Moses was doing due diligence for his father-in-law. God was pleased with Moses’ response and called out to him, “Moses, Moses.”
I suspect if I heard my name called from a bush of fire that didn’t burn it up, I might not be quick to answer. I might tap my head and blink my eyes to see if I was seeing or hallucinating. But Moses didn’t hesitate.
He responded, “Here I am.”
God told him not to come closer but to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground. Why would taking off the sandals be significant to acknowledgment of holy ground? It was not specified. However, the New Testament Epistle of Romans may have brought some light on the subject. Romans 12 said we were to be living sacrifices of God. Sandals represented ‘dead animals’ and that which was impure. Stepping out of the impurity was a step towards purity, presenting oneself as a living vibrant sacrifice.
Moses also covered his face—fearing to look upon the purity of God. His instant respect for the holiness of God and recognition of his position of humbleness would have been appreciated by God. Moses was doing all the correct things.
God identified that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He explained having heard the cry of the Israelites it was time to help them return to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey.’ Cattle and bees. Both reflected the flourishing of the land. Bees help propagate. Cattle feed on the land to produce milk. If milk and honey were abundant, then the land was fertile and productive.
Moses’ humility and perhaps, fear, surfaced when he asked who he was supposed to say sent him and how would they recognize he was speaking the truth.
God simply said, “I am.” This was a God outside of space and time; more powerful than anyone could imagine; greater than all of creation and beyond the ability of humans to visualize. The One who exists and has no beginning or end. The ‘I am’–a forever present Being. A bit hard to get one’s head around it. Then he gave the word Yahweh (YHWH) which English speakers turned into Jehovah—but he explained that would be how he would be spoken of by the Hebrews.
The New Testament Gospel shared a conversation between Peter and Jesus. Peter was called, like Moses, but he hadn’t grasped the sacred of Jesus, yet. He saw him as a person. A friend. A rabbi/teacher. But he hadn’t clued into Jesus’ mission and the ‘Son of God’ aspect of Jesus, yet. So, when Jesus started talking about his death and sacrifice, Peter’s response was not to ask Jesus to explain, but to contradict him, “No way, Jesus.” Peter pulled Jesus aside and told him that God would never allow that to happen.
Peter didn’t recognize Jesus as God. He failed to honor the holiness of Jesus. He contradicted the plan that God was explaining. Instead of humbly asking what he was to do and how he could help, he used God’s name to say it wouldn’t happen. He declared something false and inappropriate. He was attributing Jesus’ words as false, when Peter was the one who was completely wrong. Peter didn’t recognize his encounter with God.
Jesus gave him some harsh words, “Get behind me, Satan.”
What can we learn from this? If Peter could be influenced by Satan, how much more could each of us be influenced? We must be in tune, like Moses was, to recognize the unique encounters with God and give the proper respect. Instead of being arrogant and prideful, we can be humble, resourceful, and ready. Moses was ready for God to use him. The question for each of us, ‘am I ready to encounter God and do service?’ When we can answer humbly, ‘yes’ then our hearts would be open to God working within us for the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 22, Proper 17
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus 3:1-15;Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b;Romans 12:9-21;Matthew 16:21-28&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=+Matthew+16:21-28&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6 Psalm 105:23-26 Psalm 105:45
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 124:8
King James Version (KJV)
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 3:1-15
King James Version (KJV)
3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, we need to learn so much more about you to be ready to recognize you when you reveal yourself to us. Moses was ready. Peter was not. Both had an encounter with you that taught us the importance of holiness and humility. Empower us to be ready for your service. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Saturday Ordinary 22, Proper 17 brought two saints of God into intimate encounters. Moses met God at the burning bush in the desert of Midian, while he tended flocks for his father-in-law the priest, who probably gave Moses many opportunities to study and worship. Peter, who jumped before thinking, often, had not yet understood the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice. He was still seeing Christ as taking over the political and cultural world. He hadn’t clued into the impending death of Jesus at the hands of the leaders. He hadn’t understood the words that Jesus told him.
Instead Peter argued that God would never do such a thing. Jesus knew differently and needed Peter to realize that he was being used of the devil at that moment. A believer. A disciple. An apostle being used of the devil.
I suspect the words, “Get behind me Satan” came as a great shock. We sometimes are knocked down before we can rise up to do the great work of God for his glory. But despite the fact that the devil was able to use Peter there, it didn’t mean forever. Peter was the rock of the church. He was going to ‘get it’ and would be pivotal to the leading of believers in the new way.
We must strive to ‘get it’ as Moses did and as Peter would, so we can be ready for God’s service.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
Please like if you are blessed and don’t hesitate to comment or contact me. I love hearing from you.
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