Bible Chapter: Exodus 5

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    I am reminded of a line from an old gospel song: it’s a battlefield brother, not a recreation room, it’s a fight and not a game.  This is a good description of the life we live serving Jesus.  It is a good description of what is developing in the book of Exodus.  When Moses went to the pharaoh and said they needed to leave and go to the desert to make a sacrifice to God, it started an amazing battle.  Pharaoh was not about to let go of a million people he had enslaved.  He thought he was a god and he was in control.  He thought no one could do anything about what he demanded.
    Moses was extremely disappointed.  He thought that, after hearing from God, all he would need to do was go before the king and demand release, and they all would go happily into the desert.  It didn’t work that way.  Again, this is an intense spiritual battle and the enemy was not going to roll over and play dead.  He will only go down fighting.  Evil powers go down hard. Yes, God had promised victory.  He had not told them how hard it would be.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    The spiritual battle is just as difficult today as it ever has been.  The enemy is just as mean, deceitful and despicable as ever.  Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.  We see that happening in many situations in our world today.  The fact that the spiritual battle takes time and intense effort is still true.  We can look at lessons from human history to see how difficult it is to unseat an evil person in power.  The wars are hard and costly.  But, for those who enjoy freedoms, someone had to pay.  For anyone to enjoy spiritual freedom, for anyone to know the joy of having Jesus in their heart and being free from the bondage of sin, someone had to pay.  This is one of the powerful practical lessons of this chapter.  I have the privileges of knowing Jesus and living in His freedom.  Someone paid the price and passed this on to me.  I must do the same so others can know the same peace of being delivered from the power of sin and have the hope of eternity with Jesus.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I want people to know that Jesus really IS the way to hope and peace.  He really is the way to having a reason to live each day.  There is nothing that compares to the joy of being free from sin.