Category: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: Exodus 14:1-4

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“Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.’ So the Israelites did this.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

As I shared with you a few weeks ago, in the last few months I have rewatched or watched for the first time the first six Mission Impossible movies. One of the regularly used tools in Ethan Hunt’s toolkit is to impersonate another character in such a way that he is able to get a third character to reveal vital information to accomplish a mission. I think that happens at least once in all six films including the very first scene of the first one. He’ll create situations that are designed to set up targeted characters to give him the information or perform some action that he wants them to do, but to do so entirely of their own free will. That feels a little like what God is doing to Pharaoh here…which isn’t nearly so entertaining of a thought as when Hunt does it. Let’s talk about what’s going on here, what God’s plans are, and what this all reveals about Him.

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Digging in Deeper: 1 Samuel 15:22

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“Then Samuel said: ‘Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Some stories are just classic. And, if we’re being honest, culturally speaking, most of those stories are owned by Disney. Some of the all-time classic children’s stories have been immortalized in a certain form by a Disney animated film. This doesn’t mean the Disney version is true to the original source material for the story. It often is not. But for several generations, Disney hired the best storytellers and animators and created a cultural narrative around their versions (especially the various princesses from the fairytales they brought to life…never the princes though…I wonder how different our culture would be if Disney had poured as much effort into telling boys to be princes as they have telling girls they are all princesses) that resulted in their versions becoming the ones everybody knows. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty were the original trio. Since then, many more have been added including the latest to get the live-action treatment and which recently launched on Disney+, The Little Mermaid. Let’s talk today about The Little Mermaid and why the real story is not the one you think it is.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 13:8-10

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“On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Ronald Reagan is famous for making the observation that freedom is never more than a generation away from dying out. His point was that unless we actively inculcate the next generation with a love of American freedom (which is unique in the world), it will not last. It is not a state of affairs that arises naturally, and it will not be maintained without constant and abiding attention. Given recent surveys on the opinions of young people today about various foundational American ideals, I’d say his warning was prescient. Here in Exodus 13, God was in the process of giving the people of Israel their freedom. They were going on a journey to a new homeland where they would be able to live out their freedom to its fullest if they so chose. But He knew that freedom was a tenuous thing and not a natural one. So, one of the things He made clear they needed to do was to pass it on. Let’s talk about this third and most important emphasis of the first part of Exodus 13.

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Digging in Deeper: 1 John 2:15-17

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“Do one love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions – is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

When filmmakers set about their craft, I am increasingly convinced their primary source material is the stories they grew up with. Having finally been given the opportunity by virtue of position or technology to tell and retell the stories of their childhood in a way that makes them more real, as well as to pass on a love of these stories to the next generation, they take it. This is why superhero and adventure movies generally have long been such a successful genre. Young people love them because those are the kinds of stories we are drawn to naturally as kids. Older people love them because they enjoy seeing the stories they grew up with brought to life on the big screen (and increasingly the small streaming screen). One of the latest Disney offerings is the series, Ahsoka, from the Star Wars universe. By all accounts it has been absolutely fantastic. I wouldn’t know because I haven’t watched any of it yet even though I am most excited to do so. But its release has set me on a journey that will eventually end in my watching the whole thing. This journey has been taking me through another popular entry from the Star Wars franchise which has given me the chance to reflect a bit on the worldview of Star Wars more generally. The intersection of that and the Christian worldview is what I’d like to explore for a bit with you this morning. Let’s dive in.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 12:28, 50-51

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“Then the Israelites went and did this; they did just as the Lord has commanded Moses and Aaron. . . Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

There are some things that simply matter more than others. There are some details that are more important than the rest. In the final analysis, some actions will be noted as more significant than anything else. This is what we are seeing here as we finally come to the end of Exodus 12. God gave a lot of instruction (with many, many more yet to come) in preparing the people for the final judgment against Egypt and their departure from the land. In the end, though, only one thing really mattered. It’s the same thing that ultimately matters most for us too. The fact that it gets repeated just helps to emphasize the point. Let’s talk today about doing what God says.

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