Dig a Little Deeper

There are countless things people put their trust in, seeking security and healing. But as history shows us, relying on anything less than God can only lead to despair. In ancient Egypt, the people had forgotten the true God and instead worshiped a pantheon of false gods, including Imhotep, the god of healing. They believed he could prevent and treat diseases, and many sought his help to ease their pain. However, when God sent a plague of painful boils upon both man and beast, it became clear that Imhotep was powerless in the face of the true living God.  Imhotep: God of Healing Imhotep was not initially worshiped as a god but was a highly esteemed official who served under Pharaoh Djoser. He was renowned for his wisdom, intellect, and contributions to Egyptian architecture, including the construction of the first pyramid. Over time, he became associated with healing and medicine, and temples were erected in his honor. The Egyptians believed that Imhotep could prevent and cure illn...

In ancient Egypt, the cult of Apis held immense religious and political significance, symbolizing the divine authority vested in Pharaoh and bestowing the ruler with perceived blessings and favor from the gods. Apis, the sacred bull, was a central figure in this intricate belief system. The Sacred Connection between Apis and Pharaoh: The Apis bull was considered to be an intermediary between the gods and Pharaoh, symbolizing the ruler's divine legitimacy and connection to the divine world. Its presence was believed to ensure Pharaoh's well-being, long life, and success in governing the kingdom. The presence of Apis in the royal court was viewed as a validation of Pharaoh's divine legitimacy, reaffirming his right to rule as a divinely ordained figure. The sacred bull's endorsement bolstered Pharaoh's authority and served as a powerful political tool to unify the kingdom under a shared religious identity. Oracular Significance of Apis: Apis was believed to possess or...

We have journeyed through the first four plagues, digging into the historical context and religious implications of each plague. God demonstrated his sovereignty in showing that he rules over the entire pantheon of Egyptian gods.  As the Hebrew people languished under the oppressive rule of Pharaoh, their deliverance was sought by Moses, acting as God's intermediary. Before the Plague of Livestock, Moses warned Pharaoh of impending divine retribution if he continued to deny the Hebrews' freedom. However, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he refused to heed the warning. The fifth plague, the plague of livestock, showed God's sovereignty over Apis, who was depicted as a bull with distinct markings. Apis symbolized Pharaoh's security and legitimized his claim to deity.  The Plague Unleashed: The Plague of Livestock struck Egypt, bringing devastation to the Egyptians' domestic animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats. Even the revered sacred bulls, associate...

Every believer, at some point in his or her walk with Christ, questions whether he or she is truly saved. This is known as the security of the believer.  How secure are we in Christ? Once Saved, Always Saved The short answer is, completely.  We are completely secure in Christ. Trusting in him as Savior means that we believe he has done whatever was needed for us to be saved. We may not fully understand this, but we simply trust in Christ. On the day of judgment, we will simply stand before God and ask for Jesus to represent us. We trust him as our Savior. To flesh that out a little further, we would need to discuss a few things. We are not saved by works. We are saved by what Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection. Salvation is an undeserved gift. We didn't work to achieve it. Rather, God saved us despite our sinful choices. As a result, we cannot work to un-achieve this gift. God is bigger than our failures. He loves us and offers us salvation despite our shor...

So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away." Exodus 8:28 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. Exodus 8:32 As fallen beings, we are prone to break our promises, both with God and with man. During storms in our lives, we often go to God in order to get right with him. Unfortunately, however, once the storm passes, many times we fall right back into our old habits. We see this happen even with Pharaoh. Initially, Pharaoh promised to let God's people go, but as the plagues subsided, he hardened his heart and reneged on his word. This highlights the danger of relying on the promises of fallible human beings. Our security in salvation must rest on something far greater—God's unwavering faithfulness. Salvation by Grace, Not Works: To understand our unshakable security, we must grasp the basis of our salvation. The Bible teaches that we are not saved by ou...

In our study on the ten plagues, we have witnessed God's mighty acts to free his people from bondage. Each plague was not merely a display of power but a direct confrontation against the false gods worshipped by the Egyptians. This week examines the fourth strike God sent against Egypt: Flies. Understanding the Symbolism: The plague of flies was not simply an annoyance to the Egyptians. The Egyptians revered flies, and they even had a deity associated with them named Khepri. Khepri represented resurrection and personal transformation, drawing upon the scarab beetle's emergence from the ground. However, God's plague of flies shattered the illusion of Khepri's power. It demonstrated God's superiority over the Egyptian gods and challenged the Egyptians' belief in their gods' ability to protect them. We can learn from this that our true rebirth and transformation come through Jesus Christ alone, not through false idols or worldly concepts. Seeking God's Prot...

The third plague in Exodus reminds us that outward cleanliness means nothing if inwardly we are impure. Like the ancient Egyptians, the cleansing of our hearts is not achieved through removing external dirt, but through the transformative work of Christ's blood. It is his sacrifice on the cross that offers us true cleansing. The Power of Christ's Blood:  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7  It is through Christ’s shed blood that we find forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. The cleansing power of Christ's blood surpasses any outward act or ritual, washing away the stains of sin. Baptism: A Public Display of Inward Transformation:  While baptism is a meaningful act, it is important to understand its role in the context of inward transformation. Baptism serves as a public display, a visible symbol of the inner change that ...

During the third plague, lice infested the land of Egypt, covering both man and beast. God used this affliction to challenge the Egyptians' external cleanliness, which masked their vile religious practices and oppression of others. It exposed the emptiness of outward appearances when they fail to reflect inner purity and righteousness. Outward Cleanliness versus Inner Transformation Throughout Scripture, we encounter warnings about the danger of prioritizing outward appearances over inner transformation. Jesus, in Matthew 23:25-28, rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, emphasizing the need to cleanse the inside of the cup rather than focusing solely on external rituals. This passage reminds us that true righteousness stems from a transformed heart. Lessons for Our Lives As followers of Christ, we must examine our own lives and guard against the allure of superficial religiosity. Merely attending church, performing rituals, and maintaining an outward façade of righteousness hol...

 This past week I was watching a movie with my boys. While there are certainly a few things in a PG-13 movie I wish wasn't in there, it was an overall fun adventure for the boys to enjoy.  As we were watching, I couldn't help but notice an image of the glorious gospel in the movie.  Sermon Prep Let me start by giving a brief backstory: In preparing this week's sermon, I spent a lot of time thinking through the breath of life as is discussed in Genesis 2:7. The sermon, and other blogs this week, discussed how Heqet was believed to breathe the breath of life into us. However, it was truly God who breathed the breath of life into us, according to Genesis 2. This Hebrew word used gives us a picture of someone blowing up an inflatable, or even mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.  At the cross, Jesus gave his last breath so that we could have eternal life. He breathed life into our spiritually dead bodies. Understanding the Movie Now you need a brief backstory of the movie: In t...