"...So that they may worship Me..."

Edited from a journal entry - February 13, 2009
Thoughts from today's Bible in 90 Days reading...

I have to confess that I have a tendency to be very shallow about reading straight through the Bible in a certain period of time...:-) I think it stems from a minister telling me one time to just read it without thinking, not to dwell on it, but read it like a novel. I don't know, his whole attitude about it hit me wrong, but I tried it and it didn't work...I kept stopping, praying, researching...etc. I tend to think, "No thank you, I'll just read passages and let God 'speak' to me through them." But in spite of this, I have read it through several times, writing down questions that come up as I go and going back later to research...still, I have not always considered it a priority spiritual discipline. It has only been since Monday that we have been reading and already, God has spoken!!! I have asked Him to let me approach this differently and indeed He did right from the beginning. While I have written down the things that are standing out to me and questions that arise...today's reading prompted quite a journal entry...many pages that I will try to condense for this note.

Our reading...Exodus 1 - 15. Not a surprise to anyone who knows me, but the "standout" today was surrounding worship...in particular corporate worship...why should I be surprised when this is the very area where I am currently having struggles. I am teaching my K4 class at DBCS a song now about Moses and it repeats the line, "Pharoah, let my people go!" Interesting that we always quote the first part of that verse (in movies, songs, etc.) but leave out the second part of the statement, "...so that they may worship me." Huh? For goodness sake, I am a worship leader and I have overlooked THAT part so many times. So what's up with that? It comes up at least 9 times in these passages that I counted. The people were enslaved to the Egyptians, they were not "free" to worship God as a nation, as a "congregation." God wanted them free, out of captivity...why? So that they could WORSHIP Him...freely, obediently, and as He directed them...interesting concept, isn't it? :-)

Then He spoke to me...we cannot worship freely as long as we are enslaved and/or captive to someone or something else. Pharoah's heart was hard about releasing them and allowing them to freely worship. So is Satan with us...he is hard. He will enslave us in any way, shape or form to prevent us from worshiping God freely in "spirit and truth." He wants the worship that is God's alone.

Interesting that the elders of the Israelites accepted Moses and Aaron and in 4:29-31, believed and worshiped after they spoke with them.

Interesting that the Israelites (the people) did not listen, believe or worship when Moses spoke to them because of "discouragement and cruel bondage." (6:9)

Interesting that just after the Lord told Moses what to say to Pharoah (4:22-23), He became angry with Moses because he had been disobedient by not circumcising his son. Moses was not exempt from the covenant (Gen. 17:4-14) just because he was a leader...God expects complete obedience, period.

Interesting that the Lord said to Pharoah, "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (9:16) God has a purpose for EVERYTHING, even hard hearts...and His Name WILL BE proclaimed!

Be still - let God fight for you (14:14)...Ok, Lord, I will, I will...Glory to Your name!

Ha ha...that was the condensed version...