DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 21
WORD OF WISDOM
We need to stop creating God in our image and let Him start creating us in
His.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Missing the Shackles of Sin
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and
the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the
land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore
hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our
wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return
into Egypt?
Numbers 14:2-3
When the Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, they cried out to God
for deliverance. They hated being forced to labor for others, without the
freedom to live as they pleased. The conditions of their slavery were harsh,
and they got increasingly worse over time. Then God answered those desperate
prayers and sent Moses to lead them out. Yet despite their answered prayers
and their deliverance, the Israelites did not respond with gratitude.
Instead they complained again and again. They did not have enough food, and
then when manna fell from Heaven, they grew tired of it. Their complaining
became so bitter that they even began longing to be back in slavery again.
At one point, they began looking for a leader who would take them back to
their former bondage.
We look at that story and find it hard to believe that people could long to
be in bondage again after having been freed. Yet we see the same thing in
the Christian life in all too many cases. People who have been released from
the slavery of sin and should be rejoicing in freedom in Christ instead
spend their time looking backward and missing the very thing from which they
were delivered. Paul warned about the importance of guarding our liberty,
writing to the Galatians, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage" (Galatians 5:1). The shackles of sin cannot stand against the power
of the gospel. We only come back into bondage when we ourselves choose to
yield to sin rather than yielding to God.
The deliverance God has given us is precious, and we should not let any sin
bring us back into captivity.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Exodus 13-15 New King James Version
The Firstborn Consecrated
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Consecrate[a] to Me all the
firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man
and beast; it is Mine."
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
3 And Moses said to the people: "Remember this day in which you went out of
Egypt, out of the house of [b]bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord
brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this
day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the Lord
brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites
and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give
you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in
this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh
day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten
seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven
be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in
that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I
came up from Egypt.' 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a
memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth; for
with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall
therefore keep this [c]ordinance in its season from year to year.
The Law of the Firstborn
11 "And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the
Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12
that you shall [d]set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is,
every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be
the Lord's. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb;
and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the
firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when
your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall
say to him, 'By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn
about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I
sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of
my sons I redeem.' 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets
between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of
Egypt."
The Wilderness Way
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did
not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near;
for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war,
and return to Egypt." 18 So God led the people around by way of the
wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly
ranks out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the
children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, "God will surely [e]visit you,
and you shall carry up my bones from here with you."
20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge
of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of
cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by
day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
The Red Sea Crossing
14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel,
that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea,
opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh
will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the
wilderness has closed them in.' 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so
that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all
his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord." And they did so.
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart
of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said,
"Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" 6 So he
[f]made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six
hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over
every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of
Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel
went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and
chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by
the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and
behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the
children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses,
"Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the
wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12
Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that
we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve
the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."
13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the
salvation[g] of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the
Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The
Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold[h] your peace."
15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of
Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand
over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry
ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts
of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over
Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the
Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself
over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went
behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind
them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of
Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by
night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that
night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the
sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into
dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went
into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to
them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and
went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his
chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon
the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He
[i]troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He [j]took off their chariot
wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said,
"Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against
the Egyptians."
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that
the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their
horsemen." 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the
morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians
were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew[k] the Egyptians in the midst of
the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen,
and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much
as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry
land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their
right hand and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved[l] Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the
great [m]work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the
Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and
spoke, saying:
"I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
2 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths have covered them;
They sank to the bottom like a stone.
6 "Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
7 And in the greatness of Your excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth Your wrath;
It consumed them like stubble.
8 And with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths [n]congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, 'I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.'
10 You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 "Who is like You, O Lord, among the [o]gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To Your holy habitation.
14 "The people will hear and be afraid;
Sorrow[p] will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
16 Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
In the mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 "The Lord shall reign forever and ever."
19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into
the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the
children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
The Song of Miriam
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her
hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21
And Miriam answered them:
"Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!"
Bitter Waters Made Sweet
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the
Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no
water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of
Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called [q]Marah.
24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast
it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an [r]ordinance for them, and there He tested
them, 26 and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God
and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all
His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on
the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and
seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Footnotes
Exodus 13:2 Set apart
Exodus 13:3 Lit. slaves
Exodus 13:10 regulation
Exodus 13:12 Lit. cause to pass over
Exodus 13:19 give attention to
Exodus 14:6 harnessed
Exodus 14:13 deliverance
Exodus 14:14 Lit. be quiet
Exodus 14:24 confused
Exodus 14:25 Sam., LXX, Syr. bound
Exodus 14:27 Lit. shook off
Exodus 14:30 delivered
Exodus 14:31 Lit. hand with which the Lord worked
Exodus 15:8 became firm
Exodus 15:11 mighty ones
Exodus 15:14 Anguish
Exodus 15:23 Lit. Bitter
Exodus 15:25 regulation
