Where I am at.

Well, today I just finished Exodus 21. I have really been enjoying this study and since having been to the Holy Land have a better idea of the area where a lot of the events that I have read about took place. Just a plug...if you have never been to Israel..GO! Your Bible reading will come alive in a way that will  help you immensely! Since I last posted, I have read about the children of Israel's flight out of Egypt and their journey through the wilderness and how God provided in miraculous ways for them! Today I read about the Ten Commandments and then God's rules on slavery.
The other day something jumped out at me that I found most interesting. In Exodus 18, Moses' father in law, Jethro comes to him and seeing that Moses is taking on all of the burdens of the people steps in and gives Moses some instruction. He tells Moses to appoint able men who fear God and who are trustworthy to take on some of these burdens from Moses. These men were to be over different groups of people. Any matter too great they would bring to Moses, and any small matter they would decide themselves. This looks like a clear picture of how the church is set up today! You have deacons and or assistant Pastor's who can help bear some of the burden! I like what the end of chapter 18 says, "If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure..." I believe this is a clear picture of a healthy church.
I also love chapter 15. It is the song that Moses led the people in singing after they crossed the Red Sea and saved them from the Egyptians.

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, 

"I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.

"Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'

You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

"Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.

"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

The LORD will reign forever and ever."

Looking forward to continuing my journey! As you can tell I may not write every day, but I will write!! There is so much I am learning through this study and I hope you are also being blessed by it!