Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 82: Midianite Advice

In Exodus 18, we read that Moses had a reunion of sorts with his Jethro, his-father-in-law. who was a "priest of Midian." When he heard all that the Lord had done for His people, Jethro offered sacrifices to the Lord and worship Yahweh, Moses' God. Then Jethro observed Moses' work habits and gave his now famous and oft-followed advice:

Moses’ father-in-law replied,  What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied" (Exodus 18:17-23).

Every commentary or sermon on this passage indicates that Jethro taught Moses how to delegate and this model is accepted as the gospel truth. (Well, maybe not gospel because it is in the Old Testament, but you get what I mean.) Because that is the standard interpretation that is accepted without question, let's spend just a brief moment to see if there could be another way of looking at Jethro's advice.

In the New Testament, no hierarchy of leadership was established such as the one in Exodus 18. In Acts 6 when the widows were not being cared for, the apostles put the burden back on the people to solve their own problems, so they held an election and the apostles gave all the authority to handle the issue to those elected officials. Then in another instance, a man cried out to Jesus for justice:

“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:13-15).

In essence, Jesus, like the apostles in Acts 6, refused to get involved, instead describing general principles that should be followed and leaving the problem for others to settle.

Could it be that Jethro imparted a Midianite technique to management that seems to be wise but is not? (Keep in mind, this did not help Moses with his work overload for the people continued to look to him to do what only the Lord could do.). Does the Bible include this story to endorse this method of leadership or is it included simply because it was factual and indicated the dysfunction of the people and their deficient spirituality? Where have you accepted a biblical interpretation without examining it for yourself or challenging the commonly-held conclusions? Where have we set up a system that establishes our leaders as problem-solvers they are not equipped or called to handle?

At the end of the day, the lesson of this story may very well be the usual interpretation preached and taught everywhere. Then again, part of your creativity may be to vary your approach to stories whose truth you have assumed you knew only to find that there are other lessons you failed to examine because you accepted what others had to say and didn't study it for yourself.

Purpose Study Bible 81: Write It to Remember It

When the children of Israel entered the Wilderness, they had food, water, and security problems as we read in Exodus 17:10-14:

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

The Lord directed Moses to write down what had happened and also mentioned to Joshua that he was writing it. This probably indicated that there were other scrolls or documents that chronicled the significant events for the people along the way. The implications are obvious, for unless we leave a written record, we tend to forget all that the Lord has done. This would seem to suggest a journal for an individual or a historian for an organization.

The Lord spoke to His people through the psalmist in Psalm 50 and one of the things He said was, "You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you." This sounds like the people had taken God's word and thrown it away, but that's not what necessarily happened. All it takes to cast God's words behind you is to go forward and not to have a way to take what He said along for the ride. It is all too easy to hear a word and then forget it as life moves on and you with it.

Do you have some means by which you can record what you believe the Lord is revealing or saying to you? Do you go through those journals to reminisce and remember His word to you? Does your organization have a means through which it can keep the word of the Lord or lessons from current events uppermost in the people's minds? Do you see that your creative expressions can help you and others remember the milestone happenings of your walk with the Lord?

Purpose Study Bible 80: Maggots

Moses gave these instructions concerning the manna God provided for the people in response to their cry for food:

Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it (Exodus 16:19-24).

It was like the Lord controlled a provision faucet that He would turn it on and shower the people with the exact amount needed for each day. There was even a double portion on the Sabbath eve so the people would not have to gather on the Sabbath, but they were to consume everything they gathered on every other day as they received it. If they tried to hoard or save some of what they had, it would smell and maggots would infest and eat it.

There are a few purpose and creativity lessons in this story for us. One is that the Lord will provide what you need for each day—no more and no less. You are to use and enjoy it that day and trust the Lord for what you need tomorrow. There is to be no hoarding for fear that God will not "come through" tomorrow. Jesus taught us to pray with that expectation through the phrase in the Lord's Prayer "give us this day our daily bread." The same is true for your creativity and purposeful good deeds. You are to fulfill them today and not worry about whether God will give you more ideas, customers, or opportunities tomorrow. Do it, create it, teach it, say it, and give it today.

The second lesson is that if you don't use what God gives you, then something will happen to it. It will be useless and instead of being a fragrant aroma before the Lord, the stench of your inactivity or doubt will ascend to Him. When the people did not consume the gathered manna, the maggots were only too glad to eat it. Have you ever had an idea and then see someone make that idea a reality? What you didn't follow through on turned sour for you while someone else found a way to do it. The third and final lesson is that when you have a testimony today, you must find a way to share it. Don't store it for future use or put off until tomorrow what you should do or give today. Don't let the fresh bread God gives you become stale.

Are you living and giving today, trusting the Lord for what you use or give away to be replenished tomorrow? Are you freely using your ideas today, knowing full well that there are plenty more where they came from in the Lord? Are maggots consuming your lunch or are you eating it, enjoying to the fullest what God has for you with confidence He will give you your daily bread as you need it?

Purpose Study Bible 79: All You Need

When they were in the desert, food and water were important and contentious issues for the Israelites who complained and grumbled at any sign of trouble or uncertainty. In the last study, we saw that their water was bitter which required the Lord's intervention. The next crisis was enough food for the huge traveling throng, which they could not see how that could be accomplished in a desert. The Lord provided, however, through unexpected and unknown means:

That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent'" (Exodus 16:13-16).

Notice that each person was to gather as much as they needed according to how many were in their household. Not only was the Lord able to provide, He was able to bring just the right amount to feed all the people. As families grew, He would bring more and at no point was He taxed or challenged to provide enough.

Think about it: They had all they needed not just to survive but to thrive in a hostile environment. The same is true for you and that doesn't just cover your basic sustenance but also all you need to do God's will. Psalm 138:8 states, "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; your faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting" (NASB). If you need a computer to be more creative, the Lord will accomplish what concerns you. If there are other resources or ideas you need to fulfill your purpose, the Lord will accomplish it. And yes, if you need to feed your family while you pursue God's will for your life, the Lord will accomplish that as well. Whatever you need, He will provide, but in a sense, you have to create the need by setting goals to meet the needs you see in the world around you.

Do you have all you need to be productive and purposeful? Is it time you have a heart-to-heart talk with the Lord and settle once and for all that God wants and can provide all you need? Do you believe God can bring manna and quail from sources you cannot see to provide all your need? If God wants you to do His will, and He does, then He must provide for those needs, which He proved in this story He is willing and capable of doing.

Purpose Study Bible 78: A Piece of Wood

When Israel crossed the Red Sea, they had their share of problems and challenges on the other side:

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24).

The Lord showed remarkable patience with the people and provided for their needs no matter how bitterly they complained. In this case, we read,

"Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink" (Exodus 15:25).

Life can be bitter with many distasteful events, and in this situation, the Lord seemed mindful of how unpleasant this situation was so showed Moses a way out. He wants to show you a way out of your bitterness as well and that is by the same piece of wood that Moses used. Paul wrote in Colossians 1:19-20:

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

Jesus came to reconcile all things back to the Father through His cross. How many things is all things? Unless I am mistaken, all means all. The cross, that simple piece of wood, is capable of making the most bitter situation or work tolerable and fit for consumption. The good news is that with the cross comes resurrection so you can access Christ's resurrection power through faith, and that should make a big difference in your purpose and creativity.

Are you in a desert? Is your dry place causing you to thirst for the Lord's presence? Are you circumstances bitter and difficult? Then do what Moses did. Ask the Lord to show you what it means to "throw" the cross into your bitter situation. Perhaps it will mean for you to pick up your cross and allow God's supernatural joy to flow through you even though your situation is anything but joyful. Maybe it will something as simple as changing the way you view your bitterness not so much as a burden but as an opportunity.

Or perhaps God will have mercy and turn your bitterness into something sweet that will not only satisfy you but others who hear your testimony. It was amazing to see what a difference a piece of wood made for the people in the wilderness and the same transformative power of that wood is available to you through faith in Christ. I urge you to take advantage of it so that your pilgrimage in your desert can be turned into an oasis as quickly as possible.

Purpose Study Bible 77: Catastrophic Creativity

We have seen how the Israelites passed through the Red Sea on dry ground while the waters returned to overwhelm the armies of Pharaoh. We read in Exodus 15:1,

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea."

The song is much longer and goes through verse 17. It is an elaborate ode to the greatness and power of God and a tribute to how He deployed those attributes to help and save His people. Let's put ourselves in the place of those who were eyewitnesses of this cataclysmic event.

Imagine having crossed the Red Sea and you are standing on the other side. You look back and see an army pursuing you only to see the waters return to their normal position. Think of how noisy that would have been—water crashing down, the screams of those who were trapped, the cries of astonishment from your fellow travelers. It would be the equivalent of the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11. Those sounds and images were probably indelibly etched in their memories as they processed what had happened over time.

What was their first response to this event? It was to worship. They did not wait until years later to do so; they composed a long song and sang it right then and there, right on the banks of the Sea. They released their creativity after the catastrophe and what they produced could be referred to as "catastrophic creativity." Moses' sister Miriam took the worship one step further:

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea" (Exodus 15:19-21).

She took the song the people had composed and added musical and a dance accompaniment to the words. She turned their catastrophic creativity into catastrophic worship to help the people celebrate what God had done.

How are you celebrating what God has done in your life? When you are going through a major event that impacted you for good or not so good, is your first thought to worship by commemorating it as an expression of God's goodness? Are you allowing all your creative abilities to emerge as you live the life you have in Him? It's up to you to help others interpret and frame the things that happen in your life, helping them see God's hand in it all. Don't let another day go by without using your creative gifts as worship instruments to celebrate God and His work in and through you. And the more dramatic the life event, the more elaborate your catastrophic creativity should be.

Purpose Study Bible 76: Remember

As the Israelites left Egypt, Moses described their mindset as they went:

The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly (Exodus 14:9, emphasis added).

The people were so excited to be leaving and had already seen the Lord move on their behalf through the plagues. Yet when they got word that Pharaoh was in hot pursuit, we read

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'" (Exodus 14:10-12).

One minute the people were bold, the next minute they were terrified, complaining to Moses and holding him responsible for their trouble. They had a very short memory where God's provision and protection were concerned so they panicked. This became a regular occurrence as the psalmist reported: "Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power—the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, the day he displayed his signs in Egypt,his wonders in the region of Zoan" (Psalm 78:41-43).

Don't judge the people harshly for we often are guilty of the same behavior. We start out gung-ho to fulfill purpose and express creativity but then it becomes more difficult as we encounter opposition or even persecution. We fail or become discouraged and we too forget what caused us to be so bold in the first place. What is the answer? How can you avoid this all-too-common problem? Psalm 103 gives us the answer:

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5).

Did you start out boldly but now in a funk, stopped dead in your tracks by discouragement? Are you complaining as to how others have not given you a break or pay no attention to you and your efforts? Have you forgotten why you started your purpose quest in the first place? If so, then it's time to remember as the psalmist commanded.

Go back and review what got you started. Block out all the voices, including your own inner critic or complainer, and listen for God's voice that will help you remember why you started on your purpose journey in the first place. Then do what the psalm tells you to do: Praise Him with all that is within you and when you do your part, God will do His by satisfying your desires to create meaning through the good things only He can give you.

Purpose Study Bible 75: God Will Make a Way

When the Israelites came to the Red Sea, the Lord gave Moses these instructions:

"Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground" (Exodus 14:16, emphasis added).

The Lord did not say they would simply pass through the Red Sea. He told them they would go through on dry ground. This obviously must have been an important detail, for we see it a few other times:

• Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left (Exodus 14:21-22).
  
• But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left (Exodus 14:29).
• When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground (Exodus 15:19).

Then in case Israel had forgotten, Nehemiah prayed this: "You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters" (Nehemiah 9:11, emphasis added). Why would the Lord want to make this point so emphatically?

Perhaps it was to show how thorough His care was for His people. Every detail was taken care of. After all, if the waters had been piled up like a wall on either side of the path but the ground wasn't dry, then the people would have gotten bogged down on their way across. The Lord's provision was so complete that He not only parted the waters but also caused the soil at the bottom of the Sea to be dry as a bone. What's more, He didn't do it part of the way; He did it the entire way across the Sea!  When you pursue your purpose or express your creativity, He will do the same for you. When God makes a way, He makes a way! This also relates to what Jesus taught:

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

What do you need to get the job done God has given you to do? Are you not crossing your Red Sea because you are afraid you will get bogged down in the details? Do you feel inadequate even though you see the water piled up as a wall along your way? Where are you afraid to pray in faith for fear that you are asking for too much? God wants you to get to your Promised Land. The good news is you don't have to go there alone or find your own path. God is with you, will help you, and will do such a thorough job that your shoes won't even get muddy.

Purpose Study Bible 74: Time to Move On

In the last study, we read how the Israelites complained to Moses when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them after their exodus. Moses had promised that God would fight for them, and they only needed to stand firm and be still. That sounded like they needed to stay put and be quiet but then the Lord gave Moses further instructions:

“Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground" (Exodus 14:15-16).

God had the Egyptians right where He wanted them, but the Israelites could not see it from His perspective. Therefore, the Lord told Moses to be quiet but He told the people to "move on." There they were, with the Egyptians at their rear and the Red Sea dead ahead, and what does the Lord tell them to do? He tells them to move on. The Lord did not part the waters and then tell the people it was time to go. He told them to move on and only then would the waters part to make a way for them. God was setting up a scenario from which the people could claim no credit for what was to happen. It would all be to the glory of God and there is a good chance God has you in the same place.

You may be waiting for your circumstances to change before you move on but there is a good chance your circumstances won't change until you take the next step the Lord has directed you to take. Are you telling God how bad things are, like He doesn't already know, when in reality you are talking yourself out what you need to do? Is it time for you to stop complaining and move on? What faith step can you take that will put you closer to your Promised Land? Can you trust that God will match the step you take today with one of His own tomorrow? With all that in mind, it's time for you stand firm, be still and quiet, and move on!

Purpose Study Bible 73: Stand Firm, Be Still

As Israel left Egypt, the Lord sent them in an unexpected direction:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this (Exodus 14:1-4).

When you follow the Lord to your promised land, He may lead you by a not-so-straight path that to the natural eye doesn't seem very efficient or easy. In this situation, God wanted to teach His people about His ways and faithfulness that would require their trust but also provide an important lesson for where they were going. We read that Pharaoh did indeed take the bait and pursued the people he had given permission to leave: "As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord" (Exodus 14:10).

Fear and terror are the opposite of faith when you are following and trusting the Lord and of course, the Israelites gave in to their fear when they saw the Egyptian army. Moses tried to console his people with these words: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:13-14). The problem was that it was too late for this admonition, for the people were already terrified! The same may be true for you. By the time you hear the Lord say, "Fear not," you are afraid just like they were.

As you express your purpose, it may seem like the finances will never flow, the results will never come, and the people will never hear. That is not true, although it sure seems like it when Pharaoh and his army are pursuing you. Paul wrote the Ephesians with advice that resembled what Moses said and it is good for you to hear if you are afraid as you do what you believe God has put in your heart to do: "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).

Do your current circumstances have you afraid? Does it feel like Pharaoh has you cornered? Have you put on the full armor as described in Ephesians 6:11-20? If you have, then the word of the Lord to you is fear not, be still, and stand firm. The Lord will deliver you, although not according to your timetable but His. As He told Moses, He will gain glory for Himself in defeating your enemies as He promised He would do.