Lectionary for 3/17/08

Today's readings are Exodus 9.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ex.+9.1-28 ), Hebrews 2.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+2.1-18 ), and Lamentations 1.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Lam.+1.1-22 ).

 

We can look at these readings in canonical order and see a picture of our lives.  In the Exodus reading, after God has poured out more plagues on Egypt, finally Pharaoh admits that he has sinned and resisted God, that he is wrong, and that the people of Israel should be allowed to go worship God according to their customs and laws.  Of course, when we read on beyond the end of today's reading, we will see that Pharaoh continues to harden his heart, thus going back on his word by not releasing Israel from bondage.

 

In our reading in Lamentations we see a confession from God's people, Israel, who have resisted God's will and have received the punishment due them.  The author confesses that God is absolutely right and just in imposing penalties on those who refuse his mercy and grace.  And the penalty is just because it is the penalty for sin.  Let us never harden our hearts like Pharaoh or like the people of Jeremiah's time who refused the Lord's self-revelation and love.

 

Hebrews caps our reading by warning us.  Under the Mosaic Law we had sufficient revelation of the righteous demands of God.  But now in Christ, the giver of the New Covenant, we see our redemption face to face.  We see that we cannot keep the demands of God's holy law.  We see that Jesus has kept God's commands in our place, then has died to bear the penalty for our sin.  He has become sin for us.  If God's wrath was revealed against those who did not keep the demands of his law, how much more deserving of God's wrath are we for whom Christ kept the demands of the law and for whom Christ died, the righteous for the unrighteous?  Salvation is of the Lord.  It was begun by him and brought to conclusion by him.  Let us hold diligently to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith, rejoicing that he has rescued us from the bondage of the law, and brought us under his hand of grace.

 

Jesus walked toward the cross so that we would not have to.  We would not have done so, even for ourselves, not to mention for strangers who hated us.  What a wonderful savior we have!