DRAWING NEAR
November 28
Accepting God's Provisions
"By faith [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the
blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch
them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they
were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they
attempted it, were drowned" (Heb. 11:28-29).
The man or woman of faith gratefully accepts all of God's provisions
no matter how pointless some of them may seem.
When the time came for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt,
everything on the human level said it couldn't be done. Pharaoh
wasn't about to let two to three million slaves just pack up and
leave. His formidable army was ready to insure that no such exodus
occurred.
But when God devises a plan, He always makes the necessary provisions
for carrying it out. On this occasion, His provision came in the form
of ten terrifying plagues designed to change Pharaoh's mind.
The tenth and worst plague was the death of all the first-born (Ex.
11:5). To protect themselves from this plague, the Israelites
sprinkled the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their
homes. When the angel of death saw the blood, he passed over that
house. Thus the Passover was instituted.
The blood from those first Passover lambs had no intrinsic power to
stave off the death angel, but its presence demonstrated faith and
obedience, thus symbolizing the future sacrifice of Christ (cf. John
1:29).
Pharaoh got the message and allowed the Israelites to leave. But soon
afterward he changed his mind and commanded his army to pursue them.
Again God intervened by parting the Red Sea, allowing His people to
walk across on dry land. He then drowned the entire Egyptian army
when it followed the Israelites into the sea.
That was a graphic demonstration of a lesson every believer must
learn: God's provisions are always best. They may sometimes seem
foolish to the human intellect--just as "the word of the cross is to
those who are perishing foolishness" (1 Cor. 1:18)-- but the man or
woman of faith trusts God and receives His provisions gratefully.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the wise and gracious provisions He has made for your
salvation and ongoing Christian walk.
For Further Study:
Read the account of the Passover and the parting of the Red Sea in
Exodus 11-14.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
.
|
