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In Leviticus 10:10-11, the Lord is speaking to Aaron, His High Priest. God tells Aaron that he is to distinguish between what is holy and what is common, what is clean and what is unclean. The conversation happens in the context of grief and pain for Aaron.

Leviticus 10 starts out with an event that brings trouble to Aaron, God’s High Priest. His sons, Nadab and Abihu, are serving before the Lord when they decide to use “unauthorized” fire in a censor. The use of unauthorized fire is revealed in the context of Exodus 30:1-10 and Leviticus 16:12. God’s command was that the fire used in the censers had to come from the fire of the altar. Nadab and Abihu elected to use a different fire and died as a result.

Suffering the grief of loss, Aaron would normally enter a time of mourning. Moses cautions him to refrain. Aaron is serving before the Lord and needs to keep God’s holiness at the forefront of his thoughts. It seems a harsh lesson, but an important one. It is here that Moses admonishes Aaron to distinguish between what is holy and what is common. Aaron’s sons had neglected to recognize the holiness of God. This is not about a one tie chance and then punishment. It is about knowing the will of God and ignoring that will. Holiness leads to life while what is common leads to death.

Over and over in the pages of the Bible we see that sin leads to death. How do we know what is sin? The answer lies in the character of God. God determines what is holy and what is not. The world gives us what is common. Common means worldly, physical, or out of the thoughts of men. It is a picture of man’s wisdom as it stands opposed to the wisdom of God. Nadab and Abihu decided to “do their own thing” and that behavior leads to death. It is a startling picture, but a true picture of the devastation of sin in the life of men.

God desires that we know Him. This means knowing His will, His character, what pleases Him, and what honors His holiness. God makes it clear to man. God teaches us about holiness.

Leviticus 11-14 are the beginnings of a long list of things that are clean and unclean. Remember the warning of Moses in Leviticus 10:10-11 when reading through these passages this week. God is teaching His people to distinguish between what is holy (clean) and what is common (unclean). This is not simply a list of do’s and don’ts. It is a complex system of teaching God’s people to be aware of holiness in every situation. The topics range from dietary laws, to natural, human functions and conditions, and even disease. There are guidelines for a variety of situation common to man. God is teaching His people to see His presence in each moment.

In order to help understand this set of teaching, there are a couple of guidelines to remember when reading through the passage.

1. God is God. He teaches us what is holy based on His character. Sometimes we have a hard time understanding what God is teaching. It is important to remember that God is sovereign and has the right to set the boundaries. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) This calls for us to surrender to the wisdom of God.

2. Surrendering to the wisdom of God is not a matter of throwing up our hands and just going along. Surrendering to the wisdom of God requires us to believe that God knows best. He does not simply set up arbitrary rules. He protects mankind, guides our lives, and seeks for us to live in the best possible ways. God is seeking to bless His people, not burden them with nonsensical requirements.

3. Every situation we face, every moment we live through is pregnant with the question, “What do God want?” or “What will most honor God in this moment?” It is an important question. What honors the holiness of God in our dietary habits? What does God have to say about sex? What does God want me to be when I am sick or when I am well? We face these kinds of things daily and God want sour best. So we need to ask the questions.

4. God is looking for man’s response. Remember that God transforms the life, nature, and character of man. How we respond to God’s transformative power at work in our lives teaches us how to walk closely with God. God desires us to trust, rely, and lean on Him. Responding in surrender is a sign of faith as we learn who God is and how He changes us to live in step with Him.

5. God is teaching, we are learning. Be a student this week. Listen to what God has to say. Ask questions and seek answers. This is at the heart of embedding the Bible.

One of the central practices of the people of Israel was the practice of sacrifice. Sacrifice predates the Book of Leviticus and the people of God at Mount Sinai. We can look back through the Bible and note that Cain and Abel offered sacrifice. They knew enough to understand the difference between a pleasing sacrifice and an unpleasing sacrifice that was offered to God. Noah offered sacrifice when the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. Abraham sealed a covenant with God with a sacrifice. Job offers sacrifice in order for his children to be in a right relationship with God. God offered the first sacrifice when he provided animal skins for Adam and Eve, a garment to cover their nakedness and the sin that accompanied the fall of man.

At Mount Sinai, God lays out a series of sacrifices and explains what each sacrifice meant for the people as they lived with God. Reading through Leviticus this week, we see several different kinds of sacrifice. Each sacrifice was meant to touch on the life of men and help them live as God’s people. Since you and I live after the events of Jesus’ death on the cross, these pictures help us understand the great lengths that God goes to in order to offer a relationship with us. We see these sacrifices fulfilled in Jesus, but they still teach us something about living with God.

The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-5:13 and 6:24-30)

Sin is a serious matter and it hurts our relationship with God. The Sin Offering was a way for God to teach His people about the serious consequences of sin. The Sin Offering required that the life of an animal be given. This signifies that sin leads to death. The blood of the Sin Offering was carried to the altar (to God) and sprinkled on man. This blood connects God and his people.

The death of Jesus shows us that Jesus died in our place. We call this substitutionary atonement. It means that the death we deserve because of sin was completed in Jesus. He took our place so that we would not have to die in sin.

The Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5:14-6:7 and 7:1-10)

The Guilt Offering was also called a Trespass Offering. When the people of God had sinned against one another by lying, cheating, robbery, or oppression, he has also sinned against God. He had trespassed God’s Law and was guilty of his actions. The Guilt Offering was a way to approach God and receive forgiveness. Restitution must be made as a result of the guilt that man carried. It helped to heal the breach that stood between neighbors or between an individual and God.

In Jesus we see that the cross heals the breach that stands between us and God. The sacrifice of Jesus also teaches us how we live in community with one another. It calls us to a life of service, kindness, and peacemaking.

The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 6:8-13 and 1:3-17)

The Burnt Offering was a voluntary offering. It signified a man’s desire to be committed or dedicated to the Lord. This dedication was the free offering of self to live by God’s standards. The Burnt Offering came from a man’s own herds and flocks. It was to be a perfect representation of the type of animal presented. No blemish or defect was allowed. It shows men that when we follow God, we give ourselves and our best to Him.

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for us. He had no sin, was not guilty of wrong doing, and freely gave Himself so that you and I could walk with God. Jesus shows us that dedication to God must be freely offered.

The Grain Offering (Leviticus 6:14-32 and 2:1-16)

The Grain Offering was another dedicatory offering, like the Burnt Offering. It taught God’s people that the work of our hands should be offered to God. Man could bring a Grain offering in the form of grain that had been ground into fine flour, or as grain brought in the form of a loaf of bread. The bread was to be made without leaven. Service to God must be with a pure heart.

Jesus shows us that He was fully dedicated to God’s purpose. Even if that purpose led to a cross. Jesus did not veer to the left or right, but walked firmly with God.

The Peace Offering (Leviticus 7:11-36 and 3:1-17)

The Peace Offering came in the form of an animal given to God for His purposes. Part of the animal was burned. Part was given to the priests. And part was given back to the one making the offering. It signified a meal with God. It taught man that God desired fellowship with His people and was the creator of the community that man enjoys with God and His people.

Jesus provides us a place in the family of God through His death on the cross. You and I are invited to eat at the Lord’s table and to experience fellowship with the Body of Christ.

There is much more to be said and learned from the sacrificial system in Leviticus. The idea is see God at work both in the lives of the Israelites and in your life today. Jesus stands as the perfect sacrifice, offering us forgiveness, atonement, relationship, and peace with God. As you embed the Bible this week, remember that God loves you and provides a way for you to walk with Him.

As the Book of Exodus comes to a close, the people of Israel witness the creation of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. The Tabernacle is a portable place of worship for God’s people. Its design was specifically laid out by God and stands as an invitation for man to approach God. The sacrifices offered here bring forgiveness and grace to man. In reading about its building, we can sometimes get lost in the details, but there is an overlying picture that is present.

Exodus 30:10 introduces a word that is used for the first time in the ESV Bible. That word is atonement. I remember back to my 3rd-5th grade Bible class where Coach and Mrs. Goode explained what atonement meant. Making it simple, we learned that atonement meant that we were made one with God. Atonement means, “at one.” It is a great picture of a difficult concept.

Think for a moment what it means to be “at one” with God. To be at one with God means that sinful man must experience a cleansing. Sin must be washed away. God must offer forgiveness and grace. To be at one with God means leaving the world behind. God takes us out of the world and transforms who and what we are. This transformation is the process of sanctification or God making us holy. Being at one with God means that we share a relationship with God. We stand as the people of God and God gives Himself to us in order to lead and guide us. Atonement then provides forgiveness, transformation, and relationship. The Tabernacle becomes a place for God’s people to experience the joy of atonement, to be changed in order to be “at one” with God.

This idea of atonement saturates the last chapters of Exodus and carries over into the first chapter of Leviticus, and through the entire Book of Leviticus. The Tabernacle is the place of atonement and Leviticus shows us the details and provides the promise of ongoing guidance by God as we live and walk with Him.

Coming to the Book of Leviticus is often like reading a book of rules and regulations. Don’t get me wrong, Leviticus has a lot of rules. Leviticus uses this format to lay out the boundaries that God’s people live in. It gives clear direction on how we are changed to reflect the nature and character of God. Embedding Leviticus is not about drawing up a list of rules, it is about seeing the heart of God and surrendering our lives to live in the grace of God.

Atonement is an important concept, and it is a concept we are familiar with. We find our atonement in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. We come to the Book of Leviticus with a picture of atonement already embedded in our lives. We know about Jesus as sacrifice, high priest, and the Son of God. Leviticus gives the Israelites a picture of atonement in sacrifice, dietary laws, and a guide for living with our fellow men. Our perspective is different from the Israelite perspective, but they are not two different things. It is a matter of which side of the cross you live on. Living after the cross, the pictures in Leviticus should spark remembrance of the life, work, and character of Jesus as we read through its pages.

As you approach Leviticus, keep in mind that one of the major themes is God’s invitation to man to live together. Remember that God is at work bringing us to be “at one” with Him. Connect the pictures to Jesus. See the great lengths that God goes to in order for us to understand the power of the cross and the love of God.

The people of God have come to Mount Sinai. In Exodus 29, Moses is on the mountain with God. God is giving instructions about life, worship, and living in community with God. God is giving His people a very special insight to who He is and how He wants to walk with His people. As God makes plans, empowers individuals, and opens Himself up to intimacy, the very people He is in the process of blessing are turning away from God.

I have often thought that walking with God must have been so much easier for the people of Israel, especially at the time right after leaving Egypt. The evidence of God and His presence was so clear in that time. Each morning you woke up and walked outside to collect the day’s food. Food that God had left lying on the ground. No farming, no back-breaking tools. It would be like waking up to find a package on the doorstep with all of your meals for the day sitting right there. While collecting the food, the people could look up and see the presence of God on the mountain in the fire and the lightning. Or they could look at the pillar of cloud or fire. The tangible presence of God among His people. Bitter waters made clean and fresh. Memories of the not too distant victory of God over the Egyptian army. The dry ground of the Red Sea and the falling waters of God’s authority. There were the 10 plagues, each a lesson in the power of God. How could someone live at that time and not be absolutely committed to following God? Impossible! I would be so much more faithful, find it so much easier to believe and trust, if only I could see what those people saw. Experience what the Israelites experienced. I think. I mean, the sin of the people had nothing to do with their struggle with sin. Or did it? Am I more like them than I would care to imagine?

How clear is the presence of God? That becomes the question. Where do I see Him working and moving in the world and in my life today? Creation, the transformation of attitudes and lifestyles. The modern day miracles of birth, salvation, healing, protection, and provision. All of these are clear indications of God’s fingerprints in the lives of men. But if that is true, why do I struggle so much?

While God is making Himself known on the mountain, the people of Israel are looking for something more “tangible” to follow. Moses has been gone too long. They have become hardened to living in the presence of God. So they ask for something different. They demand something more satisfying. Something to meet a felt need. Aaron responds by calling for the gold of the people. He forms a calf and declares that this is their god! This shiny idol is the thing that led them out of Egypt. The attributes, the blessings, the power of God is declared to be in the works of men’s hands. We know that it is sin. Aaron will tell Moses that this is evil, even though he was the one who planned for the calf. Sin has caused the people to turn their eyes from the Creator and worship the created. Sin has caused them to invest their time, and gold in a dead presence. Sin has caused them to sing with joy over something they can see, while they turn a blind eye to tangible presence of God. Moses comes down the mountain and finds them worshiping. He throws down the tablets that God has given him on the mountain. The people have broken the covenant with God. Its shattered remains lie on the ground.

Now the people must see the results of sin. Death will walk among the people. They will taste the bitterness of their rebellion on the water they drink. They will suffer the pains of sickness. These are the results of sin. But more devastating is the anger that they have aroused in God. He is ready to leave them to their own choices. He will respect their desires to worship something else. They have chosen to live outside of the covenant and God will respect their choice. Even though it leads to death.

Here is a remarkable understanding of God. He allows us to choose. He tells us of the dangers. He shows us His love, compassion, and power. He showers us with grace and mercy. And He allows us to choose the path we will walk. God’s faithfulness in this moment is apparent in Exodus 33. He will keep His promise. He will conquer the land of Canaan with an angel. The people can go in and live in the Promised Land. But since they have chosen to live without God, God will not go into the land with them.

Moses comes and begs God to relent. Moses knows that God’s presence is the defining presence of His people. It is God who makes His people distinct. The character of God at work in the lives of men. It is God’s power which sustains, bringing victory, hope, and salvation. It is the relationship with God that provides all that His people need. So Moses begs God to turn away from His anger and go with His people.

That is the prayer I wish for you today. The understanding that we never want to walk in a place where God is not leading us. That we never choose to walk by ourselves. That we set aside the call of the world and the lure of idols. My prayer is that we embed a need and an awareness for God in every moment or our lives. That we walk, talk, listen, surrender and follow God in every moment.

As you embed the Bible this week, don’t miss the powerful pictures of sin, repentance, and the love of God. He is the same today. His presence is clear. He offers to go with us as we journey through life.

I watch movies with a nine-year-old. He’s great. He like movies. He likes spending the time with his dad (me). We have fun watching movies together. But he is nine. That means that every scene that is not action packed is boring. The scenes that hold his attention have good guys flying through the air, bad guys running away, chases, fights, speeding cars, and ninja moves. The rest of the movie is just filler. He sort of “suffers through” the plot in order to see the cool stuff. He doesn’t always catch the intricacies of the quieter moments of a movie. He likes to skip the “boring” parts. That’s ok. He will grow. He will come to understand that relationships are important parts of the story. He will learn that boys like girls. There are all sorts of things that will take on a different flavor as he matures. It is fun to watch.

Reading through Exodus reminds me that there is so much more to the story than the action scenes. I love the action in Exodus. The 10 Plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, Moses versus Pharaoh, a burning bush and a fiery mountain, manna, quail, the 10 Commandments, it is all amazing! But then about halfway through chapter 20, things kind of change. Israel settles in at Sinai and Moses goes up the mountain. Then there is an explanation of the law. Laws about altars, slaves, restitution, and social justice. Explanations about building the tabernacle. Descriptions about furniture and how to dress a priest. Not quite the pillar of cloud and fire that we have gotten used to in Exodus. If it were a movie, this might be the “boring” part. I might be tempted to skip it or read through it really fast in order to get back to the action. Don’t! Take some time and see what God is doing with His people in this place.

Law is not about rules and regulations. I know, we have rules and God lays out boundaries. But why? For the same reason that my nine-year-old has rules. To help him grow, to keep him safe, to provide teaching and transformation. That is what God is doing. In Exodus 22-28, our reading this week, we find God giving some rules so that His people can grow and experience the kind of transformation that God wants for His people. Just look with me for a minute.

Exodus 22:16-23:9 is all about social justice. How to treat others. It is a list of short “dos and don’ts.” The overall picture is one of relationships. We are connected to one another when we live as God’s people. How we treat each other is important to God. What we allow in our midst affects how we see things and live with each other, so we need to be aware of what we follow. It is a reminder that community is vital and remembering that God is shaping our community.

Exodus 23:10-19 reads like a list of dates, because it is. It is a list of festivals to be celebrated. God wants His people to see Him in the changing of the seasons, the process of providing crops, and their rescue from sin. He is shaping their eyes and hearts to see Him.

Exodus 23:20-33 is all about promise. God promises that Canaan will be the home of His people. We can see God shaping expectation. God promises to walk with His people today and through the future. God offers hope and comfort and purpose.

Exodus 24 brings us back to the presence of God. He settles on Mount Sinai and calls Moses to Himself. He is giving His people an avenue to speak to Him. He is providing guidance and direction and leadership.

Exodus 25-29 are all about how God shapes worship. A tabernacle so that we know that God lives among His people. Worship reminds us that God is present right now. The table for bread reminds us that we have fellowship with God. A lampstand reminds us that God is our light. An altar reminds us that we need forgiveness and grace, it assures us that God provides what we need.

You see, these are not the “boring” parts. These are the parts that intersect our daily lives. Being a Christian will not always be about action and adventure. It is not about big moments. It is about daily living. It is about seeing God in every moment and walking with Jesus in every situation. Embedding the Bible teaches me to walk with Jesus now. No matter what the now holds.

Walking out of Egypt is one of the greatest rescue stories of all time. God’s power was displayed in the 10 Plagues. God’s love was apparent as He moved among them in a pillar of cloud and fire. God’s planning was perfect in Moses. But leaving slavery was hard for the people of Israel. Old ways and old security was set aside. Slavery had shaped the people to depend on their masters. Slavery had made them question their ability to survive and thrive. Now, through the power of God, the people had the freedom to choose. Slavery denies freedom by taking away choice. God had called His people to follow, to trust, and to obey.

Leaving Egypt meant choosing to follow God. Choosing to follow God also meant depending on God’s grace and provision. In Exodus 16, we see an example of the conflict between living in the freedom to trust and choose versus living in the hold of slavery. This conflict shows up in the basic need for food. Leaving Egypt meant leaving behind the food of Egypt. But in the wilderness, it was hard to provide food for themselves. Traveling made cultivation of crops impossible. The land was not the fertile farmland of Egypt. What would the people do? The Israelites were in a hard place. Their first reaction was to complain about the situation. They turned their focus back on where they had come from. Egypt meant slavery, but it also meant someone fed them. It meant a full belly. How would they thrive in the wilderness?

As Moses listens to the people, he responds in exactly the way he should have. He turns to God. He chooses not to allow former thinking and former living to shape this moment. He chooses to trust. As he turns to God, God has an answer for Moses and the Israelites. God will provide bread from heaven. God will daily provide for the needs of His people. God will faithfully deliver. Manna is more than bread. It is the living, active promise of God lived out in every day. Manna is another sign of God’s love. Like a parent who cares for the nutrition and life of a child, God cares for man. For those who choose to trust God, there is hope, assurance, and stability.

In John 6, Jesus points a group of questioning people back to the picture of manna in the wilderness. The people are the same group that made up the five thousand that Jesus had fed with five loaves and two fish. The miracle was amazing. The people followed Jesus because of the miracle. Jesus wants them to see more in the moment. The miracle was not about eating, the miracle was about the love of God. It was about believing that God has the power to take care of His people. Jesus wants the crowds to eat the bread and to see God.

Jesus tells them that He is the bread of life. He is the answer to the needs of mankind. The bread from heaven is a sign that God is providing what man most needs for life. Jesus is that bread. Jesus is the answer for what we need. He is the answer to our sin problem. He is the remedy for grief, pain, and loss. Jesus nurtures our purpose, our direction, our growth, and our strength. The bread of life provides strength for the journey.

You and I are on a journey of discipleship. A journey of transformation. We are called to let go of the past, the slavery that has held us captive. As we let go of the world, we are invited to trust in Jesus. To trust that where He leads is the best place for us to go. We are called to ask our most pressing questions. We are allowed to choose Jesus. It is not always easy, but with the right understanding, the right vision, we can look at life and see God’s movement. We can find forgiveness and reconciliation. We can eat of the bread of life!

For 400 years the Israelites have lived in Egypt. The family of Jacob sought refuge in the land of Pharaoh, but now they are slaves. Their daily lives are ruled by another. Where they go, what they do, how they live, all is predetermined. As slaves, they live at the will of a foreign power. It is a picture of sin.

Sin does not seek to peacefully coexist in our lives. It does not willingly share dominion with another. Sin seeks to rule. Sin wants to devour our lives. It shapes us to its own purpose. It deforms our decisions and mars our thinking. Sin limits our vision and focus. It wants us to be separate from God. When we decide to live alongside sin, it is only a matter of time before sin begins to press in and control us. Sin wants to make slaves of mankind.

As the Israelites feel the oppression of slavery, they remember the God of their fathers. They remember Abraham and his journey with God from Ur to Canaan. They think back to Isaac and Jacob. They recall the God that has walked with Israel and now they begin to call to God for release.

Calling to God from the slavery of sin is called repentance. It is the moment we know that we need rescue and release. It is the moment when we choose to live outside of sin’s grip and in the arms of a Father who lives us. God is the only remedy, the only rescue for people trapped in sin.

As God hears the cries of the Israelite people, He sets in motion a plan to bring a rescuer. Moses is the man that God has chosen to lead His people out of the bondage of Egypt.

Jesus is the savior who leads us from the bondage of sin.

Pharaoh is not willing to let the Israelites walk free. As Moses cries for his people’s release, Pharaoh makes slavery even harder. The most powerful man in the all the land has set his sights on keeping the Hebrews as slaves. With the power of law, an army, and a host of advisors, Pharaoh denies the Hebrew people the freedom they desire. HE stands ready to keep them at any cost. But God is ready to go to battle for His people. God is ready to step in. Ten devastating plagues visit the land of Egypt. Each a testimony to the power of God. God has power over the life giving waters of the Nile. God can control the animals and insects that roam the land. God can turn the sun off and send disease and even death. God goes to war to free His people from the hands of Pharaoh.

While sin is a mighty adversary, God has the power to defeat sin. Sending His own Son to the cross, God shows us the great love and the great lengths He will go to in the battle against the sin in our lives. No might can match the strength of God. No barrier can turn Him aside in His desire to free those who call on His name. Death cannot stop God. So the cross stands as the battle ground. A Savior stands as champions. And we stand as victors, a part of God’s family. Free from sin and from slavery.

The Book of Exodus is a powerful picture of God’s redeeming nature. It shows us the power of sin and the might of God. It shows us the battle that God wages in order for us to walk with Him. Exodus shows us God’s great love and mercy. It shows us the power of the cross and the hope of an empty tomb.

As you embed the Bible this week, see the hand of God moving in the lives of men. Notice His loving care as He leads His people through the waters of the Red Sea. Watch as Israel learns to worship. These are the lessons of Exodus. These are important lessons to embed in our lives.

In the light of a burning bush, Moses comes into the presence of God. The call is clear. “Go to Egypt.” Moses knows about Egypt. It is a kingdom that dominates the landscape. Statues and idols proclaim the power of her gods. Pyramids rising in the desert announce the greatness of her kings. Treasure cities display her wealth and prosperity. Egypt conquers nations and holds an entire people in bondage. But just as Israel is enslaved to Egypt, so is Moses. He has run for his life from her borders. He has changed his lifestyle. The death of the Egyptian slave master signaled the death of Moses’ life in Egypt. Now God calls Moses to leave behind the new life he has found and return to Egypt. But Moses has questions for God. Questions about belief and doubt. He stands in the light of the burning bush and struggles to measure what he is learning about God against what he knows about Egypt. Embedded in his questions about the belief of Israel is a more fundamental question. Is God big enough – bigger than Egypt’s might, bigger than Israel’s doubt, bigger than all the lures that the world uses to tie us to itself?

Each day, whether we realize it or not, we ask the same question. Who is bigger – God or the world? The world constantly seeks to dominate our lives. The idols of comfort and self-gratification lure us to take our eyes off of God and place them on ourselves. The lure of greatness turns our heads. The promises of wealth and prosperity fill our vision. Each day we are bombarded with the message that the world is bigger than God. That we can be bigger than God. But we serve a God who calls us to see through His eyes. We follow a Savior who wants to lead us out of the shadow of the world to walk in the light of His glory. We are loved by One who wants us to understand how big and powerful our Abba Father truly is.

God is bigger than the things that scare me. As God changes the staff into a snake, we see Moses run in fear. The snake slithering at his feet draws a powerful picture in the sand. It is a picture of death, pain, suffering, and vulnerability. It is a portrait of evil. It is an image that we fear. Fear is a potent weapon of the world. Fear robs us of our joy, drains our courage, and freezes our focus. Satan wants us to be afraid. He wants us to live in the menacing shadows of the world’s power and feel vulnerable, alone, and afraid.

God is bigger than the things that define me. God commands Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. As he draws his hand back out, it is covered with leprosy. The horribly disfigured fingers of Moses spell out a disquieting story. The world defines us by our circumstances. Daily we are categorized, rated, measured, and examined by the standard of the world and found lacking. We are limited by our shortcomings. Your IQ doesn’t quite measure up to the Mensa crowd. Your bank account doesn’t quite add up. Your physique won’t get you on the cover of People magazine. Your soul is so riddled with sin that not even a Savior would save you. The world tells us that our potential is limited by our powerlessness. We are who we are and that is as far as we can go.

God is bigger than the things that give me security. God gives Moses one more lens with which to put Egypt in its proper perspective. The banks of the Nile River hold the wealth of Egypt. As Moses envisions drops of blood replacing drops of water, a deep channel is carved through the landscape of our hearts. The world calls us to tie our security and prosperity to material things. Wealth becomes a measure of our worth. We place our trust in the treasures of this world. We invest our hearts in our investment portfolios. But a nagging doubt always remains. Is it enough? Is the bottom line bigger than my need? Egypt depends on the Nile for its wealth. We depend on ourselves. God is bigger than both.

Embedding the Bible teaches me that God is big enough. Big enough to handle my problems, my worries, my doubts, my fears, and my weakness.

As the Book of Genesis comes to a close, we see the faithful character of God at work in Abraham’s descendants. With a famine overtaking the land, God has orchestrated a move to Egypt. Here, Joseph uses his influence and position to secure a land where the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob can grow and flourish. The land of Goshen becomes the home of Israel and his children. For 400 years the people of God will live life, marry, have children, and multiply their numbers.

As we begin the Book of Exodus, we see that the Israelites have grown so numerous that the Pharaoh of Egypt becomes worried. After the death of Joseph, the leadership in Egypt changes. Memories of Joseph and his accomplishments fade into history. The current Pharaoh sees only a possible threat in the rising numbers of Israelites. As time moves forward, the fate of Abraham’s family changes. No longer is this homeland a pleasant place to live. Slavery robs the Hebrews of their freedom. Plans to murder children are set in place. Midwives are directed to kill the male children of the Israelite people. When the plan does not work, Pharaoh calls on all of the Egyptians to throw new born male babies into the Nile River. Mass genocide is the order of the day.

How can God work in a world gone crazy? How can God move when the world seems bent on destruction? The Book of Exodus begins with the story of Moses. Here we see that God’s faithfulness continues to intersect the lives of His people. Though Pharaoh has power and influence, God still moves His plans forward. God still hears and moves among His people.

The Book of Exodus will help us to see God’s faithfulness in our world today. It does not matter who is in power. It does not matter what the culture is like. What matters is remaining close to God. As Christians today, we need to remember that God is moving. His power is still at work. God can change lives and circumstances. Though we may not always see it, God works today to change tomorrow. Just as one baby, afloat in the Nile River can change the course of the Hebrew people, we know that faithfulness can change the hearts of those around us.

Embedding the Bible is about seeing God at work. It is about learning to trust when the world seems to be in control. God is faithful to His promises.

As the story of Joseph continues, there are two more days that we need to look at.

The Second-Most Powerful Man in Egypt (Genesis 41:34-45) – A troubling dream brings Joseph to the attention of Pharaoh himself. Standing before one of the most powerful rulers in the world, Joseph directs the eyes of Pharaoh to the face of God. God allows Joseph to reveal that a great famine is on the horizon after seven seasons of plenty. He encourages the Egyptian leader not to be complacent during the time of God’s blessing – to choose a man who will honor the faithfulness of God’s revelation and prepare the nation to face the barrenness ahead. Pharaoh places a robe of honor on Joseph and he goes from prisoner to the second-most powerful man in Egypt in one day.

True Identity (Genesis 42:1-6; 45:1-15) – Joseph settles into the task of preparing Egypt for the hunger to come. As famine grips the land, the sons of Jacob face the reality of their need. They must go to Egypt and buy food or die. Their journey brings brothers face to face once again. The last time Joseph saw his brothers’ faces they were filled with hatred and smug revenge as he was sold as a slave. Today, he sees eyes filled with hunger and faces bowed in reverence. As he reveals his identity, Joseph sees with startling clarity the path on which God has led him. In one day, Joseph is moved from foreigner in an alien land to being reunited with the family he thought he would never see again. All of the changes in his life have brought him to this moment. Joseph now understands that he has stood in the shadow of God’s love not just for one day, but each and every day.

Embedding the Bible is about standing with God. When we come to the Word of God every day, we make a decision to stand in the presence of God. To open ourselves to hear what God wants to say. The Bible consists of a message that God has chosen for you and I to hear. We stand under the teaching of God when we come to His Word.

Embedding the Bible is about standing under the authority of God. When we hear what God says we are called to make a choice. Walk with God in trust, love, faith, obedience, and surrender, or reject God. When we surrender to eh authority of God we choose to live out His will in our world.

Embedding the Bible is about standing in the character of God. As we live out God’s will in our lives, we are changed. Transformation happens as we let go of self and the world and embrace the lifestyle that God has planned for us. That life is centered on and in the person of Jesus. We live our days with a commitment to look like Jesus in all we say and do.

As you come this week to the story of Joseph, you come also to the story of Jesus. His invitation to walk in His presence. His call to live under His authority. His promise of transformation of our character to mirror His own. Embedding the Bible will change your life!