2022-Q3-L3

2022-Q3-L3: The Birdcage

Read for This Week’s Study: Exodus 14, Exod. 15:22-27, Exod. 17:1-7, Proverbs 3, Luke 4:1-13, 1 Pet. 1:6-9.

Memory Text: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6, NKJV).

Scriptures:

Exodus 14. [Crossing the Red Sea.]

Exodus 15:22–27 (ESV) [Bitter waters of Marah]: 22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Exodus 17:1–7 (ESV) [Water from the Rock]: 17 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Luke 4:1–13 (ESV) [Temptation of Jesus]: 4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11 and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Notes

God bring us into trial. As compared to we bringing ourselves into temptation.

We may feel the presence of God, but we may question whether He cares.

Our response to the test: Either (1) we look back to Egypt (and cherish the old way of life), or (2) we do nothing (i.e. fatalism), or (3) we "go forward (i.e. Exodus 14:15) as God told Abraham.

Exodus 14:15: The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

Other translations of Exodus 14:15. Forward, march! Start moving. Get going. Keep going. Depart. Set out (again).

In the midst of trial, sing! Take heart in the truth that you know, inspite of the feeling. You cannot rely on your feelings, on your senses, you have to push through to something deeper.

Grace is God's presence of love and abundant provision around us, and faith is to choose to believe it.

How well we process our past experiences determines how well we enter our future success.

The wilderness of Shur (meaning: wall or enclosure).

God can take you out of Egypt, but He needs your cooperation to take Egypt out of you.

#1: God will use a bitter situation to purge you of an unhealthy condition.

#2: When you apply the cross (the tree thrown into the bitter waters) to a bitter situation, it turns sweet. It turns bitterness into something bearable.

In every bitter situation, you have to apply the cross. First the cross and the crown of thorns, then comes the crown of glory.

We suffer with Christ, so that we can also reign with him. We can't reign well until we have learned to suffer well.

Romans 8:17 (MSG): We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! * * *

You may be a victim of your past, but you are a victor of your future.

The reason we go through hell is so we can show others the way through it. "Thou I walk through the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for Thou art with me."

It's at Marah were you lean the most. I thought it was the mountain but, not, it's in the valley of testing. The deepest lessons are often learned and found in the deepest suffering and trial.

Exodus 15:26 commentary. That's the place where God set up rules and procedures; that's where he started testing them. God said, "(1) If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, (2) obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, (3) then I won't strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am Yahweh your healer."

We want to put God in a box. When God is in a box we are comfortable. When we want to know God and meet Him, we come to church. The truth of the matter is, God is not contained; God is ever present; he is omnipresent; he is everywhere present. If you flee to the remotest place on earth, God is there. If you hide in a cave, in complete darkness, God is there.

God wants us to learn how to live in His presence at all times, night and day, Monday through Friday and the weekends.

Being in God's presence is a dangerous thing. Because, you either submit to Him or you harden your heart. A revelation of God will do one of those two things. Either you will draw nearer or you will turn away. You will either walk toward the light or hide from the light.

You will either see God as an angry God or a loving Father.

In(side) God we have meaning. Without God there is no meaning.

Lead us not into temptation - Jesus being led into temptation

DA 114.2: When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led by the Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan knew that the Saviour had gone into the wilderness, and he thought this the best time to approach Him.

DA 116.4: Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.

Ultimately, God is responsible for when we are tempted, as God was ultimately responsible for what Job went through. By God withholding His protective power, Satan could do harm on Job and on his possessions.

God certainly allowed Job to be tempted by the devil, and the devil was working through Job's three friends.

SUNDAY. To the Promised Land via a Dead End. Exodus 14. Crossing the Red Sea.

From the lesson: From the day the Israelites left Egypt until they reached the Promised Land, “the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exod. 13:21, NIV). Every part of their journey was led by God Himself. But look at where He led them first: to a place where the sea was before them, mountains were on either side, and Pharaoh’s army was within eyesight right behind!

Following “the pillar” doesn’t assure us of being happy all the time. It also can be a hard experience, because training in righteousness takes us to places that test our hearts, which are so naturally deceitful (Jer. 17:9). During these difficulties, the key to knowing when we are truly following God is not necessarily the absence of trials or pain but, rather, an openness to God’s instruction and a continual submission of our minds and hearts to His leading.

Notes:

God leads us to a dead end, so that He can deliver us and so be glorified.

MONDAY. Bitter Waters. [Marah]. Read Exodus 15:22-27 and Exodus 17:1-7.

Notes

Exodus 17:7: “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

The Israelites forgot, over and over.

TUESDAY. The Great Controversy in the Desert. “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil” (Luke 4:1, 2, NKJV).

EGW

MH 470.2: To live such a life, to exert such an influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice, discipline. It is because they do not understand this that many are so easily discouraged in the Christian life. Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God's service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature. Faults are revealed of which they did not even suspect the existence. Like Israel of old they question, “If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?”

MH 471.1: It is because God is leading them that these things come upon them. Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified.

Notes

There is no prerequisite for coming out of Egypt. Even some Egyptians came out of Egypt and joined the Israelites. BUT, there is a fitness that is needed to enter Canaan. Not everyone that came out of Egypt was able to enter Canaan.

The crucible is to purify the gold and to burn away and cast out the dross.

WEDNESDAY. An Enduring Legacy. 1 Peter 1:6–9.

Scripture

1 Peter 1:6–9 (ESV): 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (Good News Translation): Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. 7 Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express, 9 because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him.

EGW

MB 10.2: The Saviour's words [Mathew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn. . ."] have a message of comfort to those also who are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. God “doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33. When He permits trials and afflictions, it is “for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10. If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!

MB 10.3: The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon no useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work. Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a palace.

THURSDAY. Trial by Fire. [A story about a fictional character, Alex]

Scripture:

Proverbs 3.

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV): 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Romans 8:28 (ESV): 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV): 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

FRIDAY. Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Exodus,” pp. 281-290; “From the Red Sea to Sinai,” pp. 291-302, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Temptation,” pp. 114-123, in The Desire of Ages.

RH April 7, 1903, par. 4: But of old the Lord led his people to Rephidim, and he may choose to lead us there also, to test our loyalty. He does not always bring us to pleasant places. If he did, in our self-sufficiency we should forget that he is our helper. He longs to manifest himself to us, and to reveal the abundant supplies at our disposal, and he permits trial and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call upon him for aid. He can cause cooling streams to flow from the flinty rock. We shall never know, until we are face to face with God, when we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are known, how many burdens he has borne for us, and how many burdens he would have been glad to bear, if, with childlike faith, we had brought them to him.

APPENDIX

Translation bias

The Lord's Prayer. See next section below.

Isaiah 63:17 (ESV): O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

Isaiah 63:17 (GNT): Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.

Isaiah 63:17 commentary. The Hebrew word is H8582 (ta'a). To err, astray, wander. Hagar wandered in Beersheba when Abraham cast her out (Genesis 21:14). Joseph wandered in Shechem when looking for his brothers (Genesis 37:15).

Genesis 20:13 (ESV) "And when God caused me [Abraham] to wander from my father's house." This is when Abraham was discovered by Abimelech to be lying to him about Sarah. God did not "cause" Abraham to wander, but Abraham himself "chose" to wander.

There is a difference between God causing and God allowing.

God is accused of what He does not prevent and that which He allows.

The Lord's Prayer (specif. Matthew 6:13)

Matthew 6:13 (ESV): And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:13 (Expanded Bible): And ·do not cause us to be tempted [T lead us not into temptation; or do not put us to the test],
but ·save [rescue; deliver] us from ·the Evil One [or evil].’

Pope Francis endorsed a change to the Lord's Prayer in May/June, 2019. The original wording is, "lead us not into temptation." The new Roman Catholic version is now: "do not let us fall into temptation."

However, changing the text (and theological concept) would require several other changes in other stories.

The Israelites before the Red Sea were led there by Yahweh.

The Israelites were led to Marah.

The Israelites were led to Rephidim

Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tested.

We must not forget the other part of the prayer: "but deliver us from evil." Given that suffering is unavoidable in this world tainted by sin, we want God to lead us through all of our trials; but we do not want to be overcome by the enticement of the devil.

The Lord's Prayer teaches us of our dependence on God. It is God who gives us our daily bread. It is God who delivers us from evil.

We do not want to be led into temptation, because of our desire to walk in paths of righteousness.

James 1:2 (ESV): Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

James 1:2 (KJV): My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:2 (NKJV): My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

James 1:12-15 (ESV): Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Sing/Praise

After the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites sang and praised Yahweh.

In Revelation 14:1-3, the 144,000 sing a song which no one else could learn. In Revelation 15:2-4 we read the words of that song. It is a song of conquest from the beast and its image.

Revelation 7:9-10: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Handel's New Song (from the Adult's SS Lesson)

By the third decade of the eighteenth century, George Frederic Handel (1685–1759) could consider himself an accomplished composer, having written various genres of music. As he wrote mostly nonreligious music, many in the Church of England viewed him as a secular composer, which led to tensions with the church. However, Handel always thirsted for God and for salvation. In April 1737, he suffered a stroke or some other psychological affliction. Although he recovered, he soon landed in a financial, relational, and spiritual crisis. In conflict with the church, in conflict with many at the court and with other musicians, Handel thought he would collapse. On April 8, 1741, he gave what he thought was his last concert and at the age of 56, retired from public life.

But Handel was looking for a new song! He soon found it. A friend, Charles Jennings, shared with Handel a libretto that focused on the life of Christ, containing three parts: (1) prophecies about the coming of the Messiah; (2) the first coming of the Messiah and His passions; and (3) the future glory of His second coming, the end of sin, and the eternal acclamation of the Messiah. Handel rediscovered the glorious image of Jesus as the Messiah and Savior and decided to dedicate to Him an oratorio. An invitation from Dublin for Handel to compose something for a charity concert served as the catalyst, and, thus, Messiah, the greatest oratorio of all time, was born.

Handel was so absorbed by the writing of his new work that he wrote all three parts on some 260 pages in 24 days. During those days, Handel did not leave his apartment at all, barely touching the food prepared for him. Sometimes, during the composition, he would sob or cry at the great biblical texts he included or at the glory he was seeing in Jesus the Messiah. When the “new song,” Messiah, was presented at the charity concert in Dublin, it collected 400 pounds, which resulted in freeing 142 men from debtor’s prison. But it also freed Handel from the spiritual, and multifaceted, crucible he was in, and it has blessed numerous people around the globe since that time. Handel died on the morning of Good Friday, April 14, 1759, just eight days after having conducted his masterpiece, Messiah, for the last time, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. The monument in the Abbey in his honor represents him holding the manuscript of Messiah, part 3, at the place where it reads, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

One inspirational source for this amazing story may be found in Patrick Kavanaugh’s Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, revised and expanded (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 3–7. Perhaps if it were not for the deep crisis that Handel went through, the world never would have enjoyed the greatest oratorio ever known. It was Handel’s humility before God, his search for God’s salvation in the midst of his angst, and his relentless spirit to push forward through adversity that helped him to rise again and sing a new song.