The Feed Mill

Today’s Bible Reading: Exodus 11-13

Today’s Devotional: Exodus 11:3

Exodus 11:1-2 God tells Moses to prepare for their redemption and what the cost of it will be.

Exodus 11:4-8 Moses warns Pharaoh of the judgement that was to come, and surely anyone would humble themselves before the God at such high a cost.

Exodus 11:9 God tells Moses that even with such high a cost Pharaoh was still not going to humble his pride before Him.

Exodus 11:10 Moses and Aaron continued to walk in obedience to God, and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened only harder.

Rewind back now to a little verse tucked in between God speaking to Moses and Moses communicating God’s Word to Pharaoh.

Exodus 11:3 unlike Pharaoh, the people of Egypt and the officials in Pharaoh’s court had a different feeling towards the children of Israel, the Lord gave them favor in the sight of the Egyptians, that favor had nothing to do with anything that the children of Israel had done. They were favored not because anything they had done, but because another party just loved them and had given them favor in the sight of the Egyptians.

Zechariah 12:10 Zechariah prophecies of the coming redemption of the nation of Israel from all of the surrounding nations, in verse 10 the prophecy is from the perspective of the King, Jesus, and that the nation of Israel will look on Jesus who they had crucified and mourn, they will be given a repentant heart. In verse 10 God also says that He will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace, or favor. In the New Testament there’s a word which means accepted or favor, which is only used 2 times, once in Luke 1:28 and once in Ephesians 1:6. It means to become an object of God’s favor, and not because of anything the receiver of this favor does but it’s because of the one giving the favor. It’s because God just loves you and loves me, so it’s a Spirit of Grace.

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Just as God continually gave Pharaoh the opportunity to repent and humble himself that he was not a god, and that his gods were not gods, but instead that God was the one true God, but Pharaoh would never humble himself to that Truth. God also in Zechariah prophecies that there is going to come a day that the nation of Israel will repent for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. God was gracious with Pharaoh and has been with the children of Israel even to this day.

This same God is the same who we see in Ephesians 1:6, God desires that all of mankind will become an object of His acceptance and His unmerited favor in and through Jesus Christ. And so for anyone, it doesn’t matter who we are or what we have done, God desires to bestow His favor upon you and for you to be accepted in Jesus Christ. What ever it may be that you have done or why ever it is that you may think God doesn’t love you or doesn’t accept you and desires to make you His beloved. Confess that to God right now, and ask Him to come into your life and to make your heart a home for Himself. That you’ve been given a new identity and your in a new relationship with God and with others.

So if you have not done that I would encourage you to do that and accept God’s will for your life, that you will make Him Lord of your life and that you will have life in Him. Next I would like you continue reading and as we unpack God’s Word this year continue to let Him wash you with it and watch the old you be washed away and the person of Jesus be worked into your life. And I would encourage you to find a good Bible teaching church body.