As the Israelites looked upon the Egyptian army bearing down on them with their backs to the Red Sea, their enslavement or death looked imminent. The situation for the Israelites appeared to be fatal. It had only been one day since they were led by the hand out God out of Egypt. Yet, having been rescued through the sovereign grace of God, the people immediately began to doubt that God had even sent Moses.
It is fascinating how something so small can have such a tremendous effect. The tongue and the words we speak are an incredible guide for how we put on the full display of the Gospel in our lives. The way we address people, things, and discuss our situations can guide and steer our whole outlook and worldview. Even worse, it can reveal the treasonous nature inside of ourselves. The same mouth that produces praise for God also produces the same foul hatred and despair for others and the world around us. Clearly, the tongue, with its great potential to speak life also carries with it an undeniable temptation to tear down.
Jesus is the Messiah that the prophet Isaiah spoke of long before His arrival and fulfills the role as the Prince of Peace. Â Within Jesus is this dual identity of both being a full reigning sovereign and an approachable man. Â While King’s rule over their land, one of their main tasks is to protect the citizens and maintain peace throughout the land. Jesus, being a reigning sovereign, is no stranger to this task. Â Peace guided God to take the form of man in order to restore the right relationship between them. Â When man allowed sin and chaos to enter into perfection, Christ came to restore the peace between the people. Â The King had come and fought hard for the peace that is without end. Â
The boys of Nobody Special give their fan theories on Star Wars the Last Jedi. And things get a little wild. And gross. Also, we look at the Christmas traditions and movies we all know and love. That is, unless you have to watch them over and over. We can all admit that Christmas Claymations were weird but they were beloved childhood memories.
As we pick up the story in chapter 11, the people of Egypt have endured nine different plagues sent by God. For some of these plagues, Pharaoh’s sorcerers were able to somewhat approximate their effects. Yet, much like the staff turning into a snake, their works never produced the same strength and power as the plagues brought down by the one, true God. Yet, for all of these plagues, the Israelites had been spared. The plagues had wreaked havoc over Egypt, punishing their source of water, their food, and their livelihood. The Israelites, however, prospered and were protected during this time. Pharaoh noticed.
Our relationship with Chirst is transformative in that it seeps into every creavase of our being. While the bible does contain many commandments for the Christian to follow, this is not the point. The point of the Gospel is that we are saved and transformed by the power of God and guided towards a new way of living. If we believe that Jesus Christ came and died for our sins then we understand that He is offering us a new and transformed life.  Our faith goes beyond mere knowledge and straight to expressing that same belief. Â
Isaiah strives to ensure the reign of God is not only established by the Might of God but also depicts the length of His reign. Â There is a temporal and eternal aspect of God in describing Him as both everlasting and Father. Â With these two words alone, there is no question as to what Isaiah is saying. Â Jesus reigns has been inaugurated from the beginning of time and will continue into eternity. Â He is the progenitor of all life and by Him all things have come into being. Â He is the order and the guide for all creation and He rules His people with the love and care that would spring forth from a father. Â He is our Everlasting Father.
Having heard from God directly, having encountered Him miraculously, Moses reverted to the same excuses that he had given before. His fear of speaking before Pharaoh and even the Israelites was rooted in deep seeded insecurity based on his speech deficiencies. Scholars have argued that it was either some form of speech impediment or, rather, just an inability or nervousness in speaking in front of people. Whatever the reason, Moses feared that the people would not listen to him and, in fact, that they were already not listening to him.  But God and Moses were passed this and had dealt with it during their encounter previously. Events were beginning to unfold quickly and now was the time for decisive action, not insecurity and doubt.
We live in a fallen and broken world. Â That much, I think we can all agree. Â If you pay attention long enough to those around you (something you should definitely do), you will encounter a person who is hurting. Â For some, it will be the sting of disappointment over lost dreams and ideals. Â For other, broken friendships and strained relationships with family will send a person spiraling down into pain. Â The one we will all face at one point or another is death. Â Everyone will lose someone or know someone who has died and this time remains a trying time for all involved. Â This is a time of mourning, certainly, but Jesus does not depart in these moments.
Strength and might are not something to be scoffed at.  Nor at they things that need to be displayed in a braggadocios manner.  True strength does not need to prove itself and nothing is truly beneath it.  Strength is not “too good” for a certain place or activity but neither does it feel the need to reassure its presence through multiple and numerous loud assertions.  For Jesus Christ and His coming, Jesus displayed His might.  While being fully God, He lowered himself and became man, a concept many other religious scoff at.  Yet the reason for this is clear.  He was coming to save His people and declaring war against the forces of darkness and evil. Â
