Category Archives: Trials and Temptations

Trust and Obey, For There’s No Other Way! (Joshua 17; Joshua 18)

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(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Joshua 17-18

The tribe of Judah was assigned its inheritance in Canaan in Joshua 15 and was followed by the tribe of Ephraim, which received its land by lot in Joshua 16. Dividing and assigning the land in Canaan continued in today’s Scripture.

Joshua 17

The Half-tribe of Manasseh and Its Portion (Joshua 17:1-6)

The land boundaries assigned to the tribe of Manasseh were recorded in Joshua 17. The tribe of Manasseh, who was the firstborn son of Joseph, received a double portion inheritance. Also, remember that half of the tribe of Manasseh had already been granted land in Gilead, on the east side of the Jordan River (17:5).

We are also reminded of an uncommon appeal for an inheritance made to Moses by the five daughters of Zelophehad, whose father had no male heir (17:3-6; Numbers 27:2-11). Zelophehad’s daughters had approached Joshua and Eleazar, the high priest, and desired a portion of the land would be granted to them as their father’s heirs (17:4). When the matter was brought before the Lord, He graciously granted their request.

Manasseh’s Failure and Cowardice (Joshua 17:7-18)

Noting Manasseh’s lands on the west side of the Jordan River (17:7-11), once again, we see a failure to obey God’s command and drive the heathen nations out of the land (17:12). We read, “The children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land” (17:12).

Now the leaders of Ephraim and Manasseh came to Joshua and demanded more land for their people. They complained, “Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?” (17:14)

Joshua’s response was noteworthy, for he challenged their cowardice. He declared the problem was not the need for more land. Instead, they had failed to drive the Canaanites out and claim the land the LORD had promised as their inheritance (17:15).

The “children of Joseph” (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh) excused their failure. They complained that the Canaanites had “chariots of iron” (meaning chariots enforced with iron, 17:16). In response, Joshua challenged those tribes to finish taking the mountain. He urged them, “Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong” (17:18).

Joshua 18

The Tabernacle Erected at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1)

The Tabernacle was erected at Shiloh, the place that would become the central place of worship and sacrifices in Israel, throughout the era of the Judges, following Joshua’s death (18:1-2).

Seven Tribes Had Failed to Claim Their Land (Joshua 18:2-7)

The narrative concerning the land division among the twelve tribes of Israel continued in Joshua 18. The Scriptures revealed that seven tribes of Israel had failed to demand and claim their inheritance (18:1-3).

Joshua rebuked those tribes and said, “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?” (18:3) The cause for their failure was not identified. Still, we can suppose their lack of zeal and passion for claiming their inheritance might be related to either cowardice or contentment with the nomad life they had followed for nearly a half-century.

Allocation and Distribution of Land by Lot (Joshua 18:8-10)

Joshua then devised a new plan for dividing the remaining territories among the seven tribes (18:4-28). First, he commanded each tribe to choose three men, twenty-one total, who would map out the land and divide it into seven portions (18:4-6). The men did as Joshua commanded, and when they returned, lots were cast to determine the portion of the lands that would be assigned to each tribe (18:8-10).

The Inheritance of the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:11-28)

You will notice that the balance of Joshua 18 verified the boundaries for the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin. Recorded were the northern (18:12-13), western (18:14), southern (18:15-19), and eastern boundaries (18:20). The chapter concluded with the cities of Benjamin being named (18:21-28).

Closing thoughts:

A growing list of disappointments is seen as the tribes of Israel failed to trust God, obey His commands, and claim their inheritance. For example, the tribe of Judah failed to drive out the Jebusites, who continued to inhabit Jerusalem until the time of David (15:63). We also read that the tribe of Ephraim “drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer” (16:10). The same malady was stated of Manasseh, for the Scripture says, they “could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land” (17:12-13).

While Ephraim and Manasseh boasted they were a “great people” (17:14), they complained they had not been given enough land. So Joshua challenged them to go to war against the “Perizzites” and the “giants” in the land and claim the land for their children (17:15). Sadly, instead of trusting God’s promises and rising to the challenge, the “children of Joseph,” protested that the enemy was great (17:16-18).

We have seen that the tribes of Israel failed to trust God and claim their rightful inheritance. Yet, I wonder how many of God’s blessings we miss because we fail to trust Him, obey His Word, and claim His promises.

Questions to ponder:

1) In what did the tribe of Manasseh fail? (Joshua 17:12)

2) What was Ephraim and Manasseh’s complaint? (Joshua 17:16)

3) Where did Israel set up the Tabernacle to worship the LORD? (Joshua 18:1)

4) What had seven of the tribes failed to do? (Joshua 18:2-3)

5) What tribe did not receive land for their inheritance? (Joshua 18:7)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

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Moses: His Last Testament (Deuteronomy 33)

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Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 33

Standing on the plains of Moab, the congregation of Israel gathered to hear the final words of the man who had dedicated his life to serving the LORD, and the people of Israel, delivering them from slavery. Moses had finished the song that memorialized the blessings of the LORD and His faithfulness to Israel. However, he concluded the song with a warning: Should the people break the covenant and turn back from the LORD, they would suffer the consequences of their wickedness. The LORD then commanded Moses to go up to Mount Nebo, where he would “behold the land of Canaan” (32:49), and there he would die (32:50).

Deuteronomy 33 

Moses’ Benediction (Deuteronomy 33:1-5)

The man who led Israel out of Egypt and guided them through the wilderness was described in the Scriptures as “the man of God” (33:1). What an outstanding epitaph for a gravestone! Though he was imperfect, he was a “man of God.” He was not without his faults, for we have witnessed those in reading the books he authored under the inspiration of the LORD (2 Peter 1:21). Moses was, however, “the man of God” (33:1).

Before his departure, Moses rehearsed briefly how the LORD had delivered Israel and displayed His glory by bringing that nation through the wilderness. Why did the LORD bring the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the borders of Canaan? Because “He loved the people” (33:3). One by one, Moses addressed and blessed each tribe of Israel (except Simeon, for Jacob had prophesied that tribe would be scattered among the other tribes because of his sin, Genesis 49:5-7).

Moses’ Parting Blessing (Deuteronomy 33:6-25)

Moses named and individually blessed the tribes: Reuben (the first-born son of Jacob), Judah (the royal tribe), and Levi (the priestly tribe) were the sons of Leah (33:6-11). Benjamin (Jacob’s youngest son), and Joseph, were the sons of Rachel (33:12-17). Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph born in Egypt, had taken their place among the tribes of Israel (33:17). Zebulun and Issachar were also sons of Leah (33:18-19). Gad was the son of the handmaid Zilpah (33:20-21). Dan and Naphtali were the sons of the handmaid Bilhah (33:22-23). Asher was also the son of Zilpah (33:24-25).

Moses’ Final Benediction (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)

Concluding his benediction, Moses exhorted the people to remember the majesty of “the eternal God,” who had chosen them, and their unique identity in Him (33:26-29). He urged the nation to find its refuge in the LORD and their security in Him (33:27). He promised that if the people destroyed their enemies, as the LORD commanded, they would find safety and be blessed (33:28).

Closing thoughts:

As a pastor of forty-four years, I have been privileged to be at the bedside of many saints when they concluded their earthly sojourn and passed through what David described as “the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). I have listened to the final words of a godly grandmother, who by God’s grace, found words to comfort her children and grandchildren. I have stood in the circle of a young family as they embraced at the bedside of a dying father, prayed, and sang songs of faith to comfort him as he drew upon his last breath. I have held the hands of dying saints, who, with the glistening dew of death on their brow, slipped from this life into the loving presence of their Savior.

The words, faith, and testimony of dying saints comfort family, loved ones, and friends. Therefore, let all who love the LORD obey His Word, and live in such a way, that it might be said he was “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1).

Questions to consider:

1) What did Moses give to Israel before his death? (33:1)

2) What were the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel? (33:3-24)

3) How did Moses describe God in Deuteronomy 33:27?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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“In the Sovereignty of God, Dreams Do Come True” (Genesis 41-43)

Dear Heart of A Shepherd Readers,

I invite you to watch or listen to a message I preached at Hillsdale Baptist Church, Tampa, FL, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Much of the sermon is narrative in style, but the content and applications are powerful.

Joseph’s brothers’ hatred brought him to Egypt, but God’s providence guided him from slavery and prison to serve as the ruler of Egypt and second only to Pharaoh. Two decades passed, and like many, Joseph’s brothers lived a lie and never confessed to their father that they had sold Joseph into slavery (left him believing a wild beast had killed his son). Yet, in the sovereignty of the LORD, Jacob’s sons would come face to face with their brother. (Genesis 42)

Text – Genesis 41-43
Topic – God’s Sovereignty and Providential Care
Series – “Logos: A Journey of Faith, Hope, and Love”

With the heart of a shepherd,

Travis D. Smith
Senior Pastor

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

A Foolish Nation Eradicates Its History (Deuteronomy 1)

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Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 1

* This is the second devotion of two for today’s Scripture reading.

An Introduction to the Book of Deuteronomy

Our chronological study of the Scriptures brings us to the Book of Deuteronomy. It is the fifth of the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch. Briefly, remember that Genesis revealed the God of Creation. In that book, we had explained the origin of all things, the entrance of sin, and God’s covenant with Abraham that promised the LORD would through him bless “all families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers chronicled Israel’s journey in the wilderness and gave us a record of God’s Law and Commandments.

Deuteronomy picked up the history of Israel at the journey’s end. With the nation encamped at the threshold of the Promised Land and knowing his death was imminent, Moses remembered and recorded the previous forty years of wanderings in the wilderness. Except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, the generation that departed Egypt and was twenty years old at the time had perished along the way. Therefore, Deuteronomy recorded Israel’s history, God’s laws, and Moses’ final instructions and exhortations to the people he had shepherded for forty years.

Deuteronomy 1 – Moses’ Final Words to Israel

The Assembly of the Congregation (Deuteronomy 1:1-5)

We read: “It came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them” (Deuteronomy 1:3). The Book of Deuteronomy was so important that a king of Israel was to have a copy of the book written in his hand and to be read every day of his life.

God’s Promise of the Land (Deuteronomy 1:6-8)

It was important for Moses to rehearse with the new generation who they were, from whence they came, and God’s plan for Israel. So Moses challenged the people, “8Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them” (1:8).

Much as a man might research his ancestral tree to know the history of his lineage, Moses passed to the new generation knowledge of their physical ancestry and, more importantly, their spiritual heritage as God’s chosen people. Think about it: The men and women who stood before Moses were 19 years old and younger when Israel refused to enter the Promised Land. They were now in their forties and late fifties. Many were too young to know the hardships of Egypt or remember when the people rebelled against the LORD. Therefore, Moses feared some might follow the faithlessness of the prior generation and be tempted to turn back from the new land.

The Appointment of Judges (Deuteronomy 1:9-18)

Because Israel was a large population (1:9-10), and Moses’ departure was imminent, it was essential for the nation to have a form of government that would judge matters according to God’s law and commandments. Therefore, the LORD directed Moses, “Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you” (1:13). Those men were to judge the people and settle causes that would arise (1:16). Moses admonished the men to be fair in their judgments and “not respect persons” (1:17).

The Prior Generation’s Failure to Trust God (Deuteronomy 1:19-46)

Then, Moses recapped Israel’s forty years in the wilderness and the previous generation’s refusal to trust the LORD. Finally, for any who might question why the generation before them perished, Moses reminded them:

Deuteronomy 1:32–33 – 32Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, 33Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

Moses was concerned that the youth did not understand what faithlessness had cost their parents and grandparents. Therefore, he rehearsed the tragic consequences of their parents’ disobedience and ensured they understood the nation’s challenges.

Deuteronomy 1:34-46 is a history lesson. Moses reminded the people that only Caleb and Joshua would accompany them across the Jordan River. Moses, because he disobeyed the LORD, would not “go in thither” (1:37); but The LORD had appointed them Joshua, and the people were urged to “encourage him” (1:38).

Closing thoughts:

The children of Israel needed to know and understand their history as a nation. History is important, and only a doomed society dares to deny its history and fail to learn from its past. Tragically, eradicating the history and symbols of a nation’s past might pacify a few, but it invariably destines its people to repeat its failures.

In the words of twentieth-century philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

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Obey the LORD, and He Will Bless You (Numbers 33)

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Scripture reading – Numbers 33

It is fitting that Numbers 33 begins with a look back at the providences of the LORD and His compassion on the children of Israel during their forty years in the wilderness. Admittedly, the names of the places where Israel encamped seem belaboring; however, each site reminds me that God is sovereign and orders the stops and the starts of His people.

Israel’s Exodus out of Egypt (Numbers 33:3-8)

From their Egyptian exodus (33:3-7) and passage through the midst of the Red Sea (33:8) to their return to “the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho” (33:50), the LORD had journeyed with His chosen people. He miraculously provided water and food along the way, proving He was a compassionate, loving God (33:9-37).

Nearing their journey’s end, we are suddenly and unceremoniously reminded: “Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt…[he] was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor” (33:38).

Aaron’s death served as a reminder that a whole generation perished because they refused to trust the LORD and enter the land. Except for Joshua and Caleb, of all who left Egypt, twenty years and older, they had died short of their destination.

A Command and A Warning (Numbers 33:50-56)

Now, the LORD promised Israel a fertile and fruitful land; however, it was inhabited by the Canaanites. Therefore, to take possession of their inheritance, Israel would have to drive the inhabitants out of the land (33:52a). The nation was commanded to destroy all the ways of the Canaanites, including their idols and the high places where they worshipped (33:52-53).

The land was to be divided by casting lots, and each family was to receive their inheritance based on the numerical size of the family (33:54).

Closing thoughts:

Numbers 33 closed with a warning: Should Israel fail to drive the inhabitants out of the land, the Canaanites would become “pricks in [their] eyes, and thorns in [their] sides” (33:55). Therefore, the people would have no rest therein. If Israel failed to obey God’s command and drive the Canaanites out of the land, the LORD warned that He would do to them what He would have done to their enemies (33:56).

Questions to consider:

1) Who recorded the history of Israel’s journey in the wilderness? (Numbers 33:2)

2) What feast day commemorated Israel’s departure from Egypt? (Numbers 33:3)

3) How old was Aaron, the high priest, when he died? (Numbers 33:39)

4) What was Israel’s fate if the people failed to drive the Canaanites out of the land? (Numbers 33:55-56)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Heart of A Shepherd Inc
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You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

Jehovah-nissi: The LORD My Banner (Exodus 16-17)

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(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 16-17

We have considered the faithlessness of the children of Israel who, after the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, turned from celebrating Egypt’s defeat to murmuring “against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24).

Exodus 16

Daily Complaining, Daily Manna, and Daily Meat

In Exodus 15, the people complained about a lack of water; in Exodus 16, they complained about a lack of food. When the people left Egypt, they must have packed enough provisions for a month; however, when their supplies were exhausted, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. The people complained that they would have been better off dying in Egypt than following Moses into the desert only to starve and die (16:2-3). (Notice how soon they forgot God’s miraculous provision of water, Exodus 15.)

Once again, Moses cried to the LORD. God responded and promised to “rain bread from heaven” (16:4), sufficient for a day that He might “prove [the people], whether they will walk in my law, or no” (16:4). The LORD promised on the sixth day he would provide twice the daily manna, that the people might store enough for the Sabbath (16:5). Moses and Aaron encouraged the people, how the LORD would provide them bread in the morning, and “in the evening flesh to eat” (16:6-8). Moses also taught a spiritual truth all believers should understand and God’s faithful ministers should remember: “The Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (16:8b).

Faithful to His promise, quail covered the camp each evening and provided the people with meat. Each morning they found a small round bread they called “manna” (16:15). Moses then instructed the men to gather only enough for their households, “every man according to his eating” (16:18). Moses also admonished, “Let no man leave of it till the morning” (16:19).

What lesson did the LORD teach Israel by providing them daily provisions?

He taught the people to look to Him for their daily needs; yet, some failed to trust the LORD and hoarded more manna than they could eat, and “it bred worms, and stank [rotted]” (16:20). As promised, the day before the Sabbath, the LORD provided enough for the day and the day after (16:22-26). Thus, the people did not need to seek provisions for the Sabbath, “so the people rested on the seventh day” (16:30). As a reminder of God’s faithfulness, Moses directed Aaron to “take a pot” and store “manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be “kept” as a lasting “Testimony” (16:33-34).

Closing thought:

Thus did the LORD provide for Israel for “forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan” (16:35).

Exodus 17

Israel continued her journey in the “wilderness of Sin” and encamped in Rephidim, where “there was no water for the people to drink” (17:1). Once again, the people questioned, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (17:7). Again, they accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them (17:3). The criticism became so vicious, that Moses feared the people were “almost ready to stone” him (17:4). The LORD then commanded Moses to take the rod he carried when the waters of the Red Sea were divided, and stand “upon the rock in Horeb; and… smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink” (17:5-6).

Israel witnessed the LORD’s compassion and provision for their needs; however, the Gospel of John reveals a greater truth. While the “rock in Horeb” supplied water to Israel, it was merely a type, a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ. The water that flowed from the rock in Horeb quenched the temporal thirst of Israel. Christ, however, promised He could give water so that a soul might “never thirst,” for He was the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Israel’s First War (17:8-16)

After departing Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel encountered their first enemy when the Amalekites, descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother), came to war against them (17:8). Moses summoned Joshua. He commanded him to choose men in Israel to “fight with Amalek” (17:9).

While Joshua led Israel to war in the valley, Moses stood on the “top of the hill with the rod of God in [his] hand” (17:9). When the arms of Moses were outstretched, Israel prevailed. Still, when his arms grew heavy, the battle went against the nation (17:11). Finally, sitting down on a rock, Moses’ brother steadied one arm. At the same time, a man named Hur held the other aloft (17:12). Thus, Israel prevailed, and “Joshua discomfited [defeated] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (17:13).

Closing thoughts:

Israel’s first battle in the wilderness served as a reminder that the LORD was on their side. The LORD commanded Moses to write the victory in a book and exhorted him to rehearse the victory “in the ears of Joshua” (17:14). As a memorial to the victory, Moses “built an altar, and called it Jehovah-nissi,” meaning “The LORD is My Banner” (17:15).

Questions to consider:

A sinful pattern of failing to obey and trust the LORD has emerged in our study of Israel. Therefore, let me encourage you to consider that those who complain are like Israel and are given to exaggeration and accusations.

1) Of what evil did the people accuse Moses? (Exodus 16:3)

2) Why did the LORD warn the people not to hoard daily manna? (Exodus 16:4b)

3) On what day was Israel not to gather manna? (Exodus 16:23-26, 30)

4) What did God command Moses to do that the people might have water to drink? (Exodus 17:5-6)

5) What lesson was Joshua to learn from his first battle with the Amalekites? (Exodus 17:13-16)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
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The Passover: “Behold the Lamb” (The Institution and Significance of the Passover, Exodus 12) – Part 2 of 2 daily devotions.

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(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 12

The Passover was instituted in Exodus 12 and took its name from the LORD, sparing His people the plague that struck the firstborn of Egypt (12:1-14, 27-28). The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to speak to the people and say, “2This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…3In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb…5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening” (12:2-6).

Moses instructed the people to put the blood of the sacrifice on the side posts and lintel [top of the door facing] of the houses (12:7). The LORD promised, saying “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (12:12-13).

The Sacrificial Lamb (Exodus 12:8-11, 14-19)

Specific instructions were given for the sacrificial lambs (12:8-11, 14-19). We are reminded that the lambs were a “type,” meaning a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sin, the Messiah, whose name they did not know and who would come in the Father’s time. Israel would have to trust in the substitutionary blood on their doorposts and know by faith that it represented God’s provision, sacrifice, and covenant with Abraham. The lamb was to be roasted whole (12:8-9), and the bones were not to be broken. (Jesus Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled that condition, John 19:31-37; Psalm 34:20). He was the perfect, sinless, spotless “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29).

A second element of the Passover was “unleavened bread” (12:15, 17-20). Leaven, the equivalent of yeast today, was not used in bread during the Passover season.  (The leaven used in ancient times was from fermented dough left over from the previous day.) Taking a pinch of fermented dough, and kneading it into a fresh batch of flour, would, in time, permeate the whole of the dough and cause the bread to rise.

The permeating nature of leaven is a symbol in the Scriptures of the nature of sin. Sin in our lives functions the same as leaven in the dough, for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). In the same way that leaven was not to be in Passover bread, a believer is not to tolerate even a “little sin” in his life.

The Night of the Passover (Exodus 12:29-34)

The night of the Passover came, and “at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh… [to] the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle” (12:29). Pharaoh and all Egypt cried in anguish, “for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (12:30).

The king then sent for Moses and Aaron and charged them, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. 32Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also” (12:31-32).

The same urgency took hold among the Egyptians, who urged Israel to depart “out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men” (12:33). As God had commanded, the children of Israel required “of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians” (12:35-36).

Delivered Israel Out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37-51)

Thus, Israel was thrust out of Egypt. The people who began the exodus numbered 600,000 men, not including women and children (12:37). We also read that a “mixed multitude” went out with them. However, they were not of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (12:38). Those non-Hebrew people would become a curse to Israel in her wilderness journey (Numbers 11:4).

The years of Israel’s stay in Egypt had been “four hundred and thirty years” (12:40). We read, “at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (12:41). The sparing of the firstborn and Israel’s exodus from Egypt is memorialized in a perpetual observance of the Passover (12:43). Also, the circumcision of males was to continue as a sign of that nation’s consecration to the LORD (12:44-48). Whether Hebrew or of the mixed multitude, there would be “One Law” that would serve the people (12:49).

Closing thoughts:

In conclusion, we are reminded that God is intolerant of sin among His people. As the leaven was put out, and forbidden in the households during the Passover (Exodus 12:15, 19-20), so should our sins be addressed and confessed in our lives and homes. Drawing a parallel between leaven and sin, Paul wrote in his first epistle to the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 5:6b–8 – “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Questions to consider:

1) What conditions did God give for the Passover lamb? (Exodus 12:5)

2) What were God’s instructions for the blood of the lamb? (Exodus 12:6-7)

3) What did God say He would do on Passover night? (Exodus 12:12)

4) What did Pharoah do after his son died? (Exodus 12:30-32)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Humility: The Essence of a Servant-Leader (Exodus 11) – Part 1 of 2 daily devotions.

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 11-12

Exodus 11 

The Man (or Woman) God Calls

Before the LORD sent the tenth, and final plague, He instructed Moses to communicate to the people that they would “borrow [to request or demand] of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” (11:2).

This seems a strange request for a people preparing to sojourn in the desert; however, I suggest two motives for the demand. First, the Egyptians had enslaved God’s people for four centuries, and the value of what they demanded in precious metals would scarcely be regarded as full payment for their toil. A second purpose, the “jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” would be required to decorate the tabernacle and fabricate vessels that would later be used in worship.

Before I address the tenth plague, consider what the LORD had done in this contest between Pharaoh and His servant Moses.

The LORD had magnified Moses in Egypt, and the fears he had entertained in returning from the wilderness were overcome by God giving him “favour in the sight of the Egyptians” (11:3a). Forty years of herding his father-in-law’s sheep had humbled this once proud prince of Egypt. However, the LORD had so magnified him that he became “very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people” (11:3).

Forty years earlier, Moses’ flight into the wilderness left behind everything that gave him rank and privilege as a prince in Egypt. Now, having departed from the quiet pastoral life of a shepherd, God had blessed and elevated him above the king of Egypt in the eyes of the people.

The Tenth Plague

The final plague severely affected Egypt’s proud, obstinate king. The Egyptians viewed Pharaoh as a god (though human, they believed he was an intermediary between the gods and humanity), and the tenth plague assailed the king and his son, the future heir to Egypt’s throne. Thus, Moses prophesied, “Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die…6And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more” (11:4-6).

The LORD promised to spare Israel’s firstborn and “put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (11:7), but only if the people followed the Word of the LORD as Moses instructed. If they refused to obey God’s Word, they would be no different from Egypt. But, as we will see in Exodus 12, God did withhold His judgment of Israel because of the blood of the Passover (12:13). (The succeeding devotion will establish the central meaning of the Passover and its significance, Exodus 12).

Moses: A Model of Humility.

Take a moment and reflect on Moses’ example of humility. When God called and commanded him to leave his sheep and return to Egypt, the once proud prince of Egypt protested. Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” (3:11a) The solitude of the desert and the calling and promises of God did so transform his life that we will later read in the Scriptures, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Closing thought:

It is rare to find a man or woman of great talents and abilities humble enough to trust, obey, and serve the LORD!

Unlike Moses, who was a model of humility and meekness, our society, including churches, has produced a generation given to “selfies” and self-promotion, the antithesis of humility. Is it possible that the dearth of men and women entering ministry indicates a generation too proud to serve?

In his epistle to believers in Corinth, Paul wrote: “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

There is a desperate need for men and women humble enough for God to use (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) and bold enough to declare the Word of the LORD unapologetically!

* A second devotional will follow and focus on Exodus 12.

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Spiritual Challenge: Never Ignore the Prospects of a Pandemic (Exodus 9; Exodus 10)

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Scripture reading assignment: Exodus 9-10

Our study in the Book of Exodus continues with the contest between Moses, God’s messenger, and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Four judgments have befallen the nation, and each has been followed by Pharaoh hardening his heart and refusing to let the children of Israel go so that they “may serve” the LORD.

Exodus 9

The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Plagues (9:3-35)

The fifth plague that befell Egypt afflicted the “cattle which [was] in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep” (9:3). The disease was “a very grievous murrain,” an epidemic so severe that “all the cattle of Egypt died.” But, as a testimony of God’s sovereignty and love of His people, none of the livestock of Israel perished (9:4-7). Yet, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go” (9:7b).

The sixth plague began when Moses gathered “handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and [sprinkled] it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh” (9:8), and boils broke out on man and beast (9:8-11). The affliction of the boils was so painful that even Pharaoh’s magicians “could not stand before Moses” (9:11). And yet, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses” (9:12).

The seventh plague destroyed all the crops of Egypt when the LORD rained down hail upon their fields (9:13-35). This time, however, some of Pharaoh’s servants believed the warnings of Moses. They made their servants and livestock take shelter in their houses (9:20). Pharaoh confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). The king promised to let Israel go; however, when the hail ceased, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses” (9:35).

Exodus 10

The Eighth and Ninth Plague (10:2-29)

Egypt’s crops and livestock losses brought the suffering of hunger and famine. Perhaps you have wondered why the LORD did not simply deliver Israel from bondage rather than judge Egypt with ten plagues. The answer is found in Exodus 10.

Exodus 10:2 – “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.”

More than delivering His people from slavery, the LORD wanted Israel to know and remember through successive generations all He had done in Egypt.  His dealings with Pharaoh were to serve as a lasting testimony of God’s person, power, and presence among His chosen people.  Israel was a nation of slaves, but their God was the Creator and Sovereign of nature. He would bring the greatest ruler and the most powerful country in the ancient world to her knees.

The eighth plague of locusts devastated Egypt and devoured what was left of the nation’s vegetation (10:3-20).  Heavy darkness was the ninth plague that befell Pharaoh and Egypt (10:21-29), and the Egyptians were oppressed and frightened by the darkness. Yet, Israel was spared, and God’s people enjoyed the warmth of the light in their dwellings.

Pharaoh then sought a compromise with Moses and would have allowed the people to depart, but not with their livestock (10:24-25). Moses, however, refused (10:26), and “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go” (10:27). Furious with Moses, Pharaoh warned, “take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die” (10:28).

Conclusion

Strong and confident in the LORD, Moses answered the king and declared: “Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more” (10:29). The stage was set for the final judgment and the humiliation of Pharaoh.

Questions to consider:

1) What message did God send Pharaoh when the fifth plague killed all the cattle of Egypt? (Exodus 9:3-7)

2) The king confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). How can we know Pharaoh had not sincerely repented? (Exodus 9:34-35)

3) What purpose did the ten plagues that befell Egypt serve? (Exodus 10:2)

4) What spiritual purpose could a plague or pandemic serve in our day?

5) According to 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 2:3-5, two things prove the sincerity of our confession and repentance of sin. What are they?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart (Exodus 8)

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(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 8

“And [the LORD] hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as [He] had said.” (Exodus 7:13)

Throughout the contest between Pharaoh and Moses, a defiant pattern and consequences emerged in the narrative. Moses contended with the king of Egypt, Pharaoh rejected him, and the LORD hardened the king’s heart through the natural consequences of his refusal to heed God’s Word.

What is the nature of a hardened heart?

A spiritually hardened, insensitive heart rejects God’s Word so that it becomes calloused to Truth. On the other hand, a hardened heart is spiritually cold and often openly rebellious. So, when we face trials and troubles, we choose whether to humble or harden our hearts.

Pharaoh’s Heart (7:13-22)

Pharaoh’s heart was proud, stubborn, and defiant. Through each plague, Pharoah continued to bristle against Moses’ words, thereby hardening his heart to God (7:13). When God turned the fresh waters of Egypt to blood, the stench of decaying flesh filled the land (7:20-22). For seven days, the waters of the Nile were blood-red and a testimony of the power and superiority of Israel’s God, yet Pharoah did not turn his heart.

Exodus 8

Frogs Filled the Land (8:1-15)

The time between the first plague and the second contest between Moses and Pharaoh is uncertain. Finally, the day came when the LORD commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh, and should he fail to let the children of Israel go, the land would be filled with frogs (8:1-4).

When Aaron stretched forth his rod as Moses commanded, frogs came out of the rivers, streams, and ponds until all the land of Egypt was filled with frogs (8:5-7). Frogs were in the houses, on their beds, in the ovens, and in flour-kneading troughs. Pharaoh begged Moses to appeal to the LORD to remove the frogs, and he promised to “let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord” (8:8b).

Rather than appeal to the LORD to instantly remove the frogs from the land, Moses deferred to Pharaoh and invited him to name the time when he should ask the LORD to “destroy the frogs” (8:9). Proud and stubborn, rather than seek immediate relief, the king chose the next day for the frogs to be purged from the land (8:10).

The following day, “Moses cried unto the Lord… and the frogs died…14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank” (8:13-14). Pharaoh, however, hardened his heart and would not allow Israel to go and offer sacrifices to the LORD (8:15).

Lice Infested the Land (8:16-19)

When Pharaoh failed to keep his word, Moses commanded Aaron to smite the dust of the land. Then the LORD sent “lice throughout all the land of Egypt” (perhaps some form of a gnat or other biting insect, 8:17). However, unlike other miracles, which the magicians emulated, they failed to turn dust into lice. Then they counseled Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (8:19a). Yet again, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said” (8:19b).

Swarms of Flies Plague Egypt (8:20-31)

Harassed by flies, Pharaoh suggested a compromise to Moses. The king said he would allow Israel to offer sacrifices to “God in the land” (8:25), but not permit the people to go beyond the borders of Egypt. However, Moses refused Pharaoh’s proposal. He suggested he feared Israel’s sacrifices would be seen as an “abomination” to the Egyptians, who would then stone the people (8:26).

Moses demanded that the people be allowed to go on a three-day journey into the desert. The king accepted, and offered a compromise that the people “shall not go very far away” (8:28). Moses promised to pray for the LORD to remove the flies, but only if Pharaoh would not default on his vow to release Israel to go and sacrifice to the LORD (8:29a), yet when the flies were removed; Pharaoh “hardened his heart” and would not “let the people go” (8:32).

Closing thoughts

Pride stood in the way of Pharaoh’s failure to humble himself, and the king’s unwillingness to acknowledge Israel’s God as LORD paved the way to increasing sorrow and death. Tragically, the king of Egypt learned a proverb King Solomon would later teach his son: “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Questions to consider:

1) Why did Pharaoh refuse to keep his promise and allow the Hebrews to go into the wilderness and worship the LORD?

2) Pharoah was proud. Can you identify areas of pride in your life?

3) Pharoah refused to hear and heed God’s Word through God’s servant Moses.  Are you resisting God’s Word in your life?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.