reflection

Reflection on Matthew 2:13-23

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Scripture

There he made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Observation

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, warning him to flee with the child to Egypt because Herod is about to try to kill Jesus. Joseph and Mary immediately leave Bethlehem and travel to Egypt where they stay until Herod dies.

Herod is furious when he discovers that the wise men have tricked him. He orders that all babies born in or around Bethlehem under the age of two years be killed.

Finally Herod dies, and the angel again appears to Joseph in a dream telling him it is safe to return to Israel. So they go and live in Nazareth.

Application

All though the story of the birth of Jesus, Matthew make sit clear that God is in control. Everything that happens is done in order to fulfil ancient prophecies, whether the people involved are aware of it or not.

The last thing Herod was thinking about when he ordered the killing of the babies was how to fulfil the prophecies. Yet he did just that.

Joseph was concerned with keeping his family safe, and so he listened to the angel in his dreams. In doing so, he fulfilled the prophecies.

There is a paradox at work in our lives. God allows us the freedom to choose our actions. Yet He uses the freely chosen actions to achieve His purposes.

We can be sure that, even when our lives are spinning out of control, God is there and He is bringing His purposes to pass.

Paul writes: “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the assurance that you are working my life for my good. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 2:1-12

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Scripture

On entering the home, they saw the child with his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chest, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Observation

After Jesus’ birth, the Magi come from the East. They ask the rulers where the King of the Jews is born. Herod is frightened when he hears this, and he finds out from the priests and scribes where the Messiah was to be born. They tell him that it was to be Bethlehem.

Herod calls for a meeting with the Magi. He tells them the baby should be born in Bethlehem. He tells them to seek diligently and report back to him when they find Him.

The Magi follow the star to the place where Jesus and His mother are. They worship him and Give Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Application

In the Christmas story we find three broad classes of people:

  • those who hear the Good News and recognise instantly that the baby is the Son of God
  • those who know with the intellect that the baby might be the Messiah, but are not that committed to seeking Him out
  • those who are driven by hatred or fear of the baby

We can know all the facts about Jesus as the priests and scribes did, and still not know Him. We can have an intellectual knowledge of the Bible and miss the heart of the author.

We can even hate and oppose God because we know that He wants a different focus in our life.

Or we can worship Him, recognising that in Christ everything finds its place.

Prayer

Lord Jesus I offer myself to you again. Use me as you choose and enable me to worship you in every situation. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 1:18-25

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Scripture

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child that is within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

Observation

Mary is engaged to be married to Joseph. While still a virgin, Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph has a dream in which an angel of the Lord tells him that May’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This baby is to be named Jesus and will save people from their sins.

Joseph takes Mary as his wife, although they refrain from sexual intercourse until after the baby is born.

Application

I am often surprised when I read of a christian stating that they do not believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ. This is an essential part of our faith.

What is easier for God to do- to make the whole universe in its infinite complexity or implant a bit of DNA into a womb?

To disbelieve at this point is to unravel every point of doctrine.

The Virgin Birth is fundamental to faith because it goes to the identity of Christ. Sin has been handed down to us, almost as an inherited quality woven into our genetic makeup. Adam’s sin has been inherited by every human being since.

If Jesus is to be a perfect sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world, He had to be conceived in a way that did not involve human DNA.

The first Adam was a special creation by God. So too was Jesus, the second Adam.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the mystery of the conception of Jesus. Help me to accept and believe this miracle. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 1:1-17

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Scripture

This is the record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham.

Application

Matthew lists the ancestors of Jesus, back through Joseph to Abraham. There are three groups of fourteen, which makes seven times six, the numbers of perfection (or God) and of man. Already he is pointing us to Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man.

Jesus is a true descendant of Abraham. He is a true Jew. He cannot be dismissed from respect because of His ancestry. He truly belongs to the children of Israel.

Jesus is also a descendant of David to whom God promised, “One of your descendants will be on the throne of Israel for ever.”

The Gospel of Matthew was written for Jewish people to accept that Jesus is the Messiah.

What is in the genealogy for us today?

  • God planned Jesus’ birth right from the beginning of time.
  • Although Jesus was sent to the Jews, He is God’s Saviour for all people.
  • Both Abraham and David sinned quite spectacularly, but Jesus was without sin.
  • Despite their sin, Abraham and David were men of faith and were significant in carrying forward the family line of the Messiah

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the promises, prophecies and pre-planning we see in Scripture. You truly are an awesome God! Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 39:1-40:38

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Scripture

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Application

The clothing for the High Priest is detailed. Finally, everything is complete. The Tabernacle is put together, and the furnishings are installed. Then, the glory of the Lord’s presence fills the Tabernacle.

How awesome it is to consider that the tangible presence of the Lord, the glory cloud, descended in this meeting place with such weighty glory.

I love it when the glory of God becomes manifest in church meetings. There have been times, particularly during the praise and worship, that the presence of God has been so strong you could feel Him. No glory cloud, but no less real.

On the other hand, the New Testament repeatedly reminds us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit- individually and together. We are all little tabernacles, little glory clouds. This is true, even when I am not aware of it.

The Holy Spirit is in me constantly. The manifestation of the Spirit, the glory cloud so to speak, becomes present as I align my thoughts and actions with those of the Spirit in me.

“We have this glory in earthen vessels,” Paul writes somewhere.

I need to remember this during the various trials and tribulations of my daily life.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the descriptions of your manifest glory. They inspire me to seek your glory in the small events of my life. Help me to recall your presence all day. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 37:1-38:31

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Scripture

The people brought special offerings of gold totalling 2,193 pounds (about 1,000 kg).

Application

Bezael constructs the Ark of the Covenant ad the furnishings for the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting.

We can let the numbers and details of the Tabernacle go past us because we have no point of reference. Here we are told that close to a tonne of gold went into the various furnishings.

It is impossible to compare values in our economy with the economy of the ancient world. In today’s money the gold is worth 84 million Australian dollars, and the silver is worth $40 million.

This was an amazingly costly undertaking for the people of Israel. They had only recently been slaves in Egypt, but now had resources to build this massive portable Temple.

It truly was a miracle of God’s provision.

Prayer

Lord, if you can provide that much gold and silver for a people in the wilderness, I know that you can supply what I need. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 35:1-36:38

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Scripture

So Moses gave the command, and the message was sent through the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

Application

The craftsmen begin the project of constructing the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The call goes out for people to bring the materials needed as a sacred offering to the Lord. The people respond so generously that Moses has to tell them to stop giving.

Has there ever been a time in the recent history of the church where a pastor has said, “Stop giving! We have enough already!”

There are two miracles in this episode.

Firstly, the people had faith and resources to give so freely to the project. Often churches and pastors have to plead with people to have faith to give generously to anything,

Whole books have been written and training courses have been developed to help pastors motivate their people to be generous.

Here in the desert, a nation of former slaves have miraculously got the materials needed. And they also have the faith in God’s provision for them to be able and willing to give.

The second miracle is for those in charge of the project to recognise that they had more than enough. They had the same kind of belief to know that God would provide all that they needed to complete what they had begun.

When we read through Exodus it is easy to focus on the failings of the Israelites. Here they show how great their faith really was.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for these people who show us how to give generously and faithfully for your works. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 34:1-35

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Scripture

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.

Observation

At the Lord’s command, Moses chisels two tablets of stone like the ones that had been destroyed. He takes them up Mount Sinai where the Lord meets with him.

The Lord promises to drive out other nations before them, but they must promise never to make a treaty with the people living in the land. They will lead the Israelites into all kinds of idolatry.

Moses stays on the mountain with the Lord for forty days and nights. The Lord inscribes the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets.

When Moses comes down from the mountain, he is not aware that his face is glowing from his encounter with the Lord. Aaron and the people become afraid of the radiance of Moses’ face. He then adopts the practice of wearing a veil, except when he goes to meet with the Lord.

Application

When we meet with the Lord or live in the conscious presence of the Holy Spirit, our countenance will change. We may not have a physical glow as Moses seems to have had, but we will be changed.

Pressure and stress will give way to peace. Animosity towards others will be replaced with love. The joy of the Lord will shine from us.

We are not usually aware of this because to us it is normal. However, when you see news items that show christians reacting to tragedy and non-christians in similar circumstances, the contrast becomes evident.

We do not have to pile on the cosmetics to look younger. No, the presence of the Holy Spirit will do that for us. Really, we should expect that if we dwell in the presence of the One who is Life then life will be shining through us all the time.

Prayer

Lord, I love your presence. Please help me to seek you out at every opportunity, to draw closer to you so that your life will flow through me. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 33:1-23

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Scripture

“If it is true that you look favourably upon me, let me know your ways so that I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favour.”

Observation

The Lord tells Moses to get going. He will send an angel before them to fight the battles for the Promised Land. The Lord will not travel in the midst of the people because they are stubborn and rebellious.

Moses would set up the Tent of Meeting some distance from the camp. When he went in there, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at the entrance of the tent. The people would stand by their tents and bow down when this happened. The Lord would speak to Moses as a man speaks with his friend.

Application

Moses’ greatest desire was to know the Lord more personally. He would go to the Tent of Meeting frequently to have fellowship with the the Lord. The pillar of cloud, representing the presence of God, would come down to him.

Moses asked the Lord to teach him His ways so he could continue to enjoy God’s favour.

As christians we should all emulate Moses’ passion to know the Lord more. We can follow his example to learn the ways of the Lord

  • Moses set apart a place and a time for regular fellowship with God.
  • He sought a deeper knowledge of the Lord. We can do this by studying the Scripture.
  • He conversed with the Lord. We can do this through listening prayer.

While Moses was dependent on the external presence of the Lord coming down to him, we have the Holy Spirit in us. He is with us all the time.

Prayer

Forgive me Lord for taking your presence for granted. Please help me to be passionate and diligent in my walk with you. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 32:1-35

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Scripture

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come on, make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what has happened to this fellow Moses who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

Observation

When Moses fails to return from the mountain top, people start agitating for Aaron to produce idols for them to follow. So Aaron takes some of the gold the Israelites had brought from Egypt, melts it down, and produces a golden calf. He then builds an altar, and the people celebrate with feasting and drinking.

The Lord tells Moses to go down and see what is happening. Moses goes down, sees the celebration and is consumed by rage. He burns the calf, crushes it to powder, mixes it with water and then forces the people to drink it.

Application

Idolatry is always close to the human heart. We can make idols out of anything, and worship them to the destruction of our relationship with the Lord.

An idol is anything that we place in higher value than our relationship with the Lord. It can be a physical idol, or it can be a less tangible thing such as family or work.

The problem for the Israelites was the length of time that Moses was up the mountain. The visible embodiment of the presence of the Lord seemed to have abandoned them. So they looked for an alternative.

How often do we get discouraged because the Lord does not deliver for us in the time scale or in the way we expect? It is in those time gaps that our trust is tested and temptation confronts us.

Prayer

Lord, it is hard to trust when you seem to be slow in answering my prayers. Please help me to trust you and wait. Amen.