EXODUS 11-20

Today is Wednesday.  I'm excited about the day and Church tonight as we "Walk Thru The Bible".  Tonight we look at the book of Luke.  I'm in Exodus today and I have a few bits of truth and thoughts to share with you today.  I hope you enjoy these times we have together:

1) THE BONES OF JOSEPH- In Exodus 13:19 we read:  "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.."  This is as they departed Egypt.  In Genesis 50:25, it reads:  "And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones form hence."  and then verse 26 says:  "So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old:  and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."  Now Exodus 13 comes 359 years after Genesis chapter 50.  And in Joshua 24:32, we read:  "And the bones of Joseph, shich the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem,.."

Now this was 429 years after Joseph died!  Wow.  What other bones in the whole history of mankind had been carried around for 429 years before they were buried.  It shows first of all that Joseph wanted to be buried in the land in which he was born, and second that his ancestors honored this request that lasted for over 400 years! 

2) THEY ALL MURMURED- In Exodus 16:2, we see "the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:"  All against two.  Two following God's voice, and everyone else complaining and murmuring.  The thing about murmuring is that it is not open complaining.  It is not addressing a problem to leadership.  It is not asking questions of Moses and Aaron, but it is complaining to each other.  It is complaining to an audience that is open to complaining and enjoying the negative discussion.  That happens in Churches as well.  I've have pastored people who murmur but never ask leadership a question.  They are not looking for answers, but desiring to build conflict in the body of Christ.  God hates murmuring and division of the body of Christ and especially in the context of a local church.  Let us decide never to be murmurers.  Things will not always go well, but that is when the people should have said:  Moses and Aaron... we are praying for you!!

3) A PECULIAR TREASURE- Exodus 19:5,6 say:  "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:  for all the earth is mine:  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.  These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."  God says that the children of Israel will be to Him a peculiar treasure.  Wow.  That means they are very special to Him.  Well, God thinks that of us as Christians as well.  We are His peculiar treasure!!  I know we don't feel special to ourselves sometimes, nor do we feel special to God at times; but, God's Word says that we ARE His peculiar treasure and we are His priest and people.  Let us remind ourselves of God's Word telling us that God thinks we are very, very special to Him. 

Hope you have a great day!  May God's blessings rest upon you!  Pastor Mike Mutchler