Day 41: A Stubborn Attitude

Hebrews 9:23-10:18; Exodus 9-10; Proverbs 3

Hebrews is all about how the sacrifice of Christ is good for all people and for all time, to wash away sins.  Because of Christ’s sacrifices, we no longer need to offer other sacrifices, and that this new covenant replaces the one between God and Moses and the people.

The king of Egypt is such an interesting story and provides glimpses of so many important aspects of life:  faith in God to go and witness before those that do not want to listen; understanding that actions and choices have consequences, often that affect others; compromise is not acceptable; listen to those who give you good advice.  Even though Moses wasn’t perfect, his example is a wonderful one of growing in faith in the Lord, being strong, and speaking his message.

In Exodus, king’s stubbornness goes beyond just standing up for what he believes, it is selfish, and he causes pain to be inflicted on his own people, the ones he cares about.  How harmful is it for us to be stubborn? Often we think that our actions only affect ourselves; I hear the phrase "I'll do what I want, because I don't care what people think." To me, that is so dangerous. That stubbornness and selfishness is cancerous and virulent to our society.

Moses said that he felt that the king and his people did not really “fear” the Lord, meaning they did not really respect God.  They were just afraid for their lives and so they obeyed.  Fear that has its basis in a terror for personal wellbeing or for eternal safety cannot develop a real respect and relationship with you.  If there is fear, then there cannot be love.  The God of the bible, and especially Jesus, is all about love--that goes back to the Hebrews verses and thoughts above.

Wisdom is what we need to be seeking—not other stuff that is simply a distraction.  If I have wisdom, I am richer than anyone else in the world.  Through God's wisdom we will be blessed with a beautiful spiritual life, though we are not guaranteed health, strength, or protection from hardships. But, wisdom helps us to see the purpose of good and bad times.