Storyline Biblical Theology #15: Exodus 16-18. "Drinking, Eating, and Fighting: Being Baptist in the Wilderness"

It was probably the most hungry I’ve ever been in my whole life. When I was a 9th grader growing up in my youth ministry in Alabama, my youth pastor took us on a 50 mile hiking trip over some of the toughest terrain in the Appalachian Mountains. After a week of hiking and struggling to eat the hiker’s diet of oatmeal, trail mix, and fig-newtons, this southern-bred boy was ready for some real food. Like an oasis in a desert, as we exited the trail we saw a Pizza Hut. From the feeling of starvation and the smell of the long-awaited greasy meat, I ordered a large pizza of my own. The rest is a blur, but what I barely remember is barely making it into my third piece before I had to make a run for... Well, you get the picture.

In Exodus 15:22 – 18:27, Israel has run into a serious problem: thirst and starvation. After creating the cosmos, humanity fell into sin and rebelled against God. He called a people to Himself to be His “treasured possession.” He delivered them from Egyptian oppressors, and now He is leading them to a land He has promised them. As they are trekking through the wilderness, something doesn’t seem right. They haven’t had water to drink in three days. Extreme thirst doesn’t make sense to them if they are the chosen people of God. Finally, they find water, but it is undrinkable. The people begin complaining because they are in extreme desert heat, and even their children are thirsting. God tells Moses to throw a log into the water. He did, and the water became sweet. God was teaching His people to depend upon Him for everything: water and the way of life (Exodus 15:22-27). Jesus tells us that He is the Living Water from which we will never thirst again. We are all so thirsty that we will be drinking from something else to quench our thirst if we’re not drinking from Jesus (John 4:14-14).

In Exodus 16, the people of God begin to complain to Moses again that they would have been better off staying in Egypt since they at least got to eat and feed meat to their children. God graciously hears their cries. But let me ask you, “Did Israel ever see their situation and humbly cry out to God in prayer to request their needs?” I can’t remember a time they did this in all of Exodus. It’s so easy to look down on them when we usually have more than what we need to live, yet we complain in life about what we don’t have -- whether it is better food, better stuff, or a better situation. How often do we humbly cry out to God in prayer with our requests? God answers by providing bread to fall on the ground fresh every morning. The people were instructed to only gather enough bread for that day, and the day before the Sabbath they were instructed to gather enough for two days since bread would not be provided on the Sabbath. In John 6:31-35, Jesus links Himself with Moses’ manna and calls Himself the Bread of Life. Feeding from Christ must be fresh every day, and special on every Sunday – the Lord’s Day.

Just when you’d think they had learned the lesson of prayer, Israel rebels farther -- past complaining -- and starts doubting God’s presence among them and goodness to them (17:1-7). They are thirsty again, and all they can see is huge Mount Horeb before them. God tells Moses to strike the rock (Mount Horeb), and He will provide water. Moses does, and water comes out. Did you know Paul tells us that the rock Moses struck was Christ (1 Cor 10:1-4)? Again, God was teaching His people to depend on Him by following and being nourished in His Son.

Lastly, we see why God was teaching them to rely on Him for nourishment, health, and safety. Israel runs into the Amalekites (17:8-16). God designs the battle so that as long as Moses’ arms are lifted in the air, Israel wins. If his arms are dropped, Israel gets defeated. Battles take a long time, and arms get tired. Moses ended up sitting down with Joshua and Aaron at his side to hold his arms up. Could this be a pattern for victory that God is setting into place? God has called us to fight as Christians, but the true victory comes through the out-stretched hands of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Old Testament truly is filled with historical truths written to show us how dependent we must be on Jesus – our Water, Bread, and Victory.

Framework Systematic Theology #9 - MACRO Theology - Doctrine of the Spirit

Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the Holy Spirit’s primary role in the universe? Has the Holy Spirit always existed? How are we supposed to relate to the Holy Spirit as Christians? Let’s begin with some true-false questions, and then we’ll answer them in the lesson.

When referring to the Holy Spirit, we should say “It” because that’s what the Bible says.
The Holy Spirit won’t be in eternity since we won’t be sinners and Jesus will be ruling.
The Holy Spirit’s primary role is to point the world to God the Son, Jesus Christ.
When thinking about these questions, I’m convinced that John 15:26-27 is one of the most important passages of Scripture in all the Bible teaching on the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” This is the role of the Holy Spirit!
Before we get into all that, let’s first understand who the Holy Spirit is not.

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or an “It.” The Holy Spirit is not merely the force or the arm of God. The Holy Spirit is a Person; therefore, we should refer to Him as “He.”
The Holy Spirit is not the Wal-Mart bouncing smiley face. Many people view the Holy Spirit’s role as to merely make God’s people happy and nice. But there is so much more to Him.
The Holy Spirit is not God’s energy drink in you. I’ve heard many accounts of so-called “Holy Spirit Revivals” where people are “slain in the Spirit,” filled with the Spirit for Holy laughter and vomiting (its true!), and crawling around on all fours wearing a dog collar to picture submission.
The Holy Spirit is not weak or selfish. If the Holy Spirit does indwell a person, that person’s life will be changed. The Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell a person’s life for His own glory, but for the glory of Jesus Christ! Notice how Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit meaning the Spirit submits to the Son. And when the Holy Spirit came, He didn’t point to Himself, but the Spirit came to bear witness of Christ. That is the primary role of the Holy Spirit!

Let’s get into Who the Holy Spirit really is. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Triune God which means He is His own Person yet He is also a full part of the Divine Godhead. He has eternally existed, and he was involved in the beginning at the creation of the universe (Gen 1:2). The Holy Spirit was, is, and always will be the sign of the Kingdom of Christ. Let me explain. In the OT, He anointed the prophets, kings, and specifically chosen people of God to accomplish God’s specific will. His final anointing was on Jesus (Christ = Anointed One, Messiah) making Him the King of the cosmos. Through Christ, we too as the church are anointed with the Holy Spirit (filling the church together as the temple of God). The Holy Spirit does not seek to be worshipped, rather He leads everything into worship of the Son. The Holy Spirit fills everything. He also gives and sustains life in the eternal Kingdom of the New Creation (Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22). Therefore the Holy Spirit convicts to point the world to the Son of God (John 16:8-11), fills believers to transform them into Christ’s image (2 Cor 3:18), and assists us in bringing glory to the Father. That is why He is called the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9, 1 Pet 1:11).

So from saying all of that, how can we live in the Spirit. As Christians, we can live in the Spirit in three primary ways. First, the Holy Spirit gives the people of God wisdom. I’m afraid that Christian pop-culture today encourages us to “wait on God” rather than use wisdom. If God intended for us to pray and wait, He would not have needed to give us His Word so that we can study in order to gain wisdom and make wise, godly decisions. Second, the Holy Spirit gives the people of God power (not weakness). The Holy Spirit does not just enable us to live for Christ, but He also empowers us to want to live for Christ so that we live in righteousness (Phil 2:13). Lastly, the Holy Spirit gives the people of God the ability to be Christ-like. The Holy Spirit is constantly working to transform us into Christ’s glorious and perfect image (Rom 8:28-29).

Storyline Biblical Theology #14: Exodus 14-15. "The Great Escape: Sea the salvation of the Lord"

Glass was shattering, the roof came caving in, and the walls were crumbling to the floor. “It was like a bad dream. I just have to keep reminding myself it really happened,” one teen recounted. In February 2007, a massive tornado ripped through the Enterprise, AL area. School was in session, many teenagers were injured, and some were killed. Personally not having children, I can’t imagine being a parent who raised their child for over 15 years and having them taken away by such a disaster.

Please Read Exodus 14-15. Escaping Egypt by the desert, what are the Israelites thinking when God has them turn back to camp with the vast Red Sea before them and Egypt behind them? What is going through their minds when they look up and see what looks to be an approaching storm and what sounds like thunder? Instead it is the swirling dust of chariots racing through the desert and the galloping of horses. They are trapped, but did God set this trap purposefully? Yes, but this is not a trap for Israel to be slaughtered. Instead, it is a trap for God to get the glory from destroying His enemies, the persecutors of His people: the Egyptians.

God has only talked to Moses about what is going to happen at this point, so of course the Israelites are complaining, confused, and afraid for their lives. Moses speaks out and says something that we all must remember when our back is to the sea and we feel like there is no way out of our circumstance: “Watch the salvation of the Lord, you will never see your enemies again, and the Lord will fight for you (14:13-14).” As we place our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will be saved from our lives of suffering, our enemies will be destroyed, and it is all done by the grace and power of our God through the work of His Son! We must remember that God doesn’t get us out of every situational jam in this life, but His promise is to rescue us from the power of sin and death through resurrection. Our resurrection from the dead is the greatest way that we can see the salvation of the Lord, our enemies being slain, and God fighting for us. God getting us out of jams in this life is purely by His grace. It is the jams of life that grow us.

God fights for His people by moving in the form of the pillar of cloud and fire between Egypt and Israel. By the raising of Moses’ staff, God parts the Red Sea. Israel files through with watery walls on the left and right as Egypt follows close behind them and with God between them. When the last Israelite makes it to the other side on dry land, God closes the sea and drowns every single pursuing Egyptian. The Scripture specifically says that Israel then believed in the Lord and His servant Moses (14:31). Watch what Israel immediately does next!

Standing on the sea shore with wide eyes and hearts full of both fear and gratitude, Israel does something very godly but also very natural. They sing in worship to God! Singing to express emotion is part of God’s image in humanity. Although singing is not the only form of worship to God, it is a very primary part of worship. Some of my thoughts on worship from this:

1. Worship God because of your salvation. Exodus 13:17-15:21 give us such a powerful, physical picture of what has taken place in our spiritual salvation. We can see the salvation of the Lord, our enemies being crushed, and how God fights for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. If we hardly ever respond in singing, we will continue to have a very weak faith.

2. Worship God by exalting Christ. Exodus 15:1-18 is the song of Israel recounting what God did to save them from the Egyptians. Our worship of God must be driven by the Spirit of God who points us to the Truth of God who is the Son of God (John 4:24). Worship Jesus for who He really is – not some beautifully sweet sissy, but a majestic, powerful, and worthy King!

3. Worship God by encouraging each other. Exodus 15:19-21 shows us the importance of singing the salvation story to one another. Singing together as a church is crucial! As we sing together, we are reminding each other what we believe, what God has done in Christ, and how God will save us in the future. Remember God’s Great Escape. “Sea” the salvation of Christ!

Framework Systematic Theology #8 - MACRO Theology - Doctrine of God

How many times have you been asked questions or have heard comments about people’s questions concerning God, such as: “How can anyone really know that Christianity is the only way? How do you truly believe that God exists? Can’t all the other religions be just as right since they believe just as strongly? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Where did everything come from?” These are the questions I actually get asked most in student ministry. They are asking to be able to answer them for their friends who come to them with questions.

When it comes to these questions, there are four major thoughts seeking to answer them.
1. Nihilism says there is no God or meaning to anything. These people would say that the universe and even our decisions as human beings are merely reactions to chemical explosions. So whatever we do is meaningless because another explosion will occur and destroy all this.
2. Naturalism says that there is no God, and all matter is eternal. These people would say that there is nothing supernatural since everything is merely natural. Time will continue on forever.
3. Deism says that God exists, but He’s not involved. These people would say that God created everything but “wound the watch” for it to continue on its own. Deism is an explanation for people who say that all religions can be right and point to the same God from different angles.
4. Christian Theism says that the triune God both exists and rules. As Christian Theists, we believe in one God who is three Persons, and He is actively ruling over every aspect of lives.

It took me quite a while to think, study, and search through a lot of the Scriptures for one of the most descriptive passages in the Bible about who God is. Can you imagine the task of teaching who God is to teenagers in a single 30-minute lesson? Yeah, it was quite a challenge. I ended up landing on Psalm 100. It is an interesting passage because it starts out with a command to praise God and then gives the reasons why to praise God. I’m going to switch them around…

It is urgent to understand who God is (Psalm 100:3). This is getting a glimpse of His make-up, or what His parts are. There is just one God, not many. The one true God consists of three Persons – Father, Son and Spirit. We don’t believe in three Gods, but in only one God who is three Persons. Each Person within the Trinity (three Persons of the one God) are all equally God. On the other hand, each Person within the Trinity is different in Personhood and role from each other. By different in Personhood, I mean that the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. By different in role, I mean that the Father serves authoritatively within the Trinity (1 Cor 11:2), the Son is the God-man Mediator who serves as eternal King of all the cosmos submitting to the Father (1 Cor 15:28), and the Spirit, in submission to the Son, fills all faithful humanity to point them to Christ and transform them into His image (John 15:28, Rom 8:29). Understanding who God is naturally causes us to serve and worship Him (Psalm 100:1-2). If we struggle with that, we need a clearer view of Him!

It is also urgent to understand what God is like (Psalm 100:5). God is knowable. We should not fall into the trap of trying to put God in a box because we do not know everything about Him since He is infinite and our finite minds are unable to know everything about the infinite God. On the other hand, Scripture is very clear that we can put boundaries around our knowledge of God in order that we do not wander into the abyss of what He is not (sinful, weak, wishy-washy, untrustworthy, etc.). We are separated from God because of our sin, but through Christ we can have this relationship of knowing Him and what He is like from His Word. God has told us about Himself in His perfect Word so that we can know what He is like and what He is not like. Understanding what God is like causes us to pray to Him with praise and thankfulness (Psalm 100:4-5). If we lack praise and thankfulness, we lack understanding of what God is like. Its amazing to think we can sit and make God out to be as great as possible in our finite minds, and for the rest of our lives we could still never imagine His greatness (Ps. 145:3)!

Storyline 13: Exodus 5 - 13. "Shock and Awe: The Judgment of Jesus"

Imagine living in a country where your national leader sees himself like a god. He rules in absolute power by brute force. In fact, even after just being inaugurated into office, he arrests and executes many of his political opponents. He even has the gall to ask his ministers for candid advice. When one tells him to step down to promote peace, that minister is delivered to his wife’s doorstep in dismembered pieces. When America attacked Iraq with the “Shock and Awe” military tactic, our ultimate purpose was to dethrone this cruel tyrant - Saddam Hussein. Exodus 5 – 13 describes a more powerful attack on a more evil ruler - Pharaoh of Egypt.

Several weeks ago, we left off the story with God raising up Moses as the leader to rescue His people from the world super-power - the Egyptian empire. When Moses approaches Pharaoh with God’s command to let His people go so that they can worship God in the wilderness, Pharaoh asks: “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” Well, God is about to show him who He is! Pharaoh is so insulted by the request that he turns up the heat on the Israelites by making them provide their own straw and make more bricks. When Moses gets back to the people, they are furious at him for causing life to get even worse. Our spiritual situation is similar to the one of Israel. Just like Israel, we can’t worship God fully while we’re enslaved, Satan turns up the heat of temptation when God is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him, and life often gets more difficult when we seek to follow God.

Moses is devastated at the response of Pharaoh (even though God had already warned him), but he was ultimately discouraged at the response of Israel. God encourages Moses. He will deliver His people from Pharaoh, and He will keep His covenant to take them to the Promise Land just like He did it with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This whole story, as well as the entire Bible, is about God being faithful to keeping His covenant. Why? Because His covenant of salvation brings about His highest goal: the glory of Jesus Christ. God is continually keeping His covenant before His people’s eyes just like He does with us and the gospel. We need to be reminded of the gospel of Jesus Christ daily which empowers us to live it continually.

When the Pharaoh declines again to let God’s people go, God begins His war campaign which He calls “Signs and Wonders.” It makes “Shock and Awe” look like little bottle rockets. The 10 plagues were: Nile turned to blood along with all other sources of water which caused all marine life to die and all of Egypt to stink, frogs came up from the Nile and swarmed the people everywhere including their food, Aaron struck the dust of the ground and it became gnats covering people and animals, swarms of flies covered and ruined the land of Egypt, all of the livestock of Egypt died, Moses threw dust in the air which became boils breaking out on all people and animals, heavy hail with thunder and fire rained down upon Egypt killing everything left outside, a swarm of locusts filled Egypt making it dark and ate all remaining food crops, pitch darkness fell over the land of Egypt for three days so that no one could see each other or go anywhere, and lastly the death of the firstborn. This is significant as Pharaoh’s firstborn son was the future Pharaoh and was thought to be a god. God commanded each family of Israel to kill a lamb, and to spread its blood over the family’s doorposts. If lamb’s blood was on the doorposts, the Death Angel of the Lord would Passover in peace. If there was no lamb’s blood, the Death Angel would kill the firstborn – from Pharaoh to slave to animal. Pharaoh finally let Israel go!

Throughout this entire historical drama, God is repeatedly saying that through this the whole earth will know that “I am the Lord, that there is no other like Me.” He wants His people free to serve Him. We must know that God pours out His wrath on all sin. God’s greatest judgment: Jesus Christ, the Firstborn Son of God, hanging on the cross in agony plagued with the penalty of the sin for all humanity. For those who believe in His death for their sin, they will be spared from the judgment of Jesus that is coming with His return (2 Thess 1:5-12 – a must read).