ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

Ezekiel 29:6-7 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know
   that I am the Lord
because you^* were a staff of reed
   to the house of Israel;
when they grasped you with the hand, you broke,
   and tore all their shoulders;
and when they leaned on you, you broke,
   and made all their legs unsteady.

Ezekiel is given a message from God against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. So why exactly is God angry at Pharaoh? Most of us think of Pharaoh and the Bible in terms of Moses and the slavery of the Israelites for generations in Egypt. And we know how the Pharaoh that Moses knew refused to let the people go. But this is a different time period entirely. This Pharaoh had not enslaved the Israelites. He had not refused to let them go to freedom. In essence, he tricked them. He was a bad ally. The nation of Israel had allied itself to Egypt in order to try to protect itself against the Babylonians who were attacking. And the Egyptians didn't come to help. "When they leaned on you, you broke."

This makes me think of Martin Luther's explanations of the commandments. The commandment "You shall not murder" isn't fulfilled when you do not actually kill someone. We also have to help and support the lives of everyone around us in every way we can. We break the commandment when we turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. The requirements of the law are so much bigger than just "don't kill or don't enslave." Pharaoh was charged with failing to help sufficiently. And so are we. And that's why the law can never be fulfilled. I've never murdered anyone and assume that I never will. But I neglect the sufferings of others every day. The law is impossible to fulfill. Thanks be to God for the good news that Jesus' death and resurrection mean I am free from the punishment of the law.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Remember to gather and give thanks to God for our special Thanksgiving Eve worship tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at 7 pm. Bring a bag of groceries for the Palatine Township Food Pantry.