Author: Charlie Garrett

Cannon display. Capitol, Austin Texas.

Friday, 6 May 2022

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. Acts 7:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse noted that Moses had become a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. Stephen now continues, going directly to the expiration of that time, saying, “And when forty years had passed.”

The verb translated as “had passed” signifies “to fulfill.” It is as if a divinely chosen interval of time had been fulfilled, and the events to follow were ready to be directed by the Lord. As such, Stephen continues, saying, “an Angel of the Lord appeared to him.”

The word translated as “angel” simply means a “messenger.” Here, it has no article before it. Who this messenger is must be determined from the surrounding text in the Exodus narrative. Stephen will explain it in the verses ahead.

As for the reason for the coming of this Messenger, it is to be remembered that the Lord had spoken out a timeline, in advance, to Abraham concerning the state of his descendants. The arrival of this Messenger means that the time for the fulfillment of those promises is at hand. As such, this Angel reveals Himself to Moses “in a flame of fire in a bush.”

The account is found as Exodus 3 opens –

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’” Exodus 3:1-3

The word used to describe the bush is batos. It signifies a bramble or thorn bush. This rightly corresponds to the Hebrew word used in Exodus, seneh. It too signifies a bramble, coming from an unused root meaning “to prick.” It is from this thorny bush that the angel will speak. The words of Stephen finish with, “in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.”

Again, the words of Moses correspond to verse 7:30. In Exodus, it said “Horeb,” but the name is used interchangeably with Sinai. Some believe it is two separate peaks of one mountain. Or it could be two separate names for the one mountain, regardless of the peaks. Either way, it is a word used synonymously with Sinai. This can be deduced from several verses where Sinai and Horeb are spoken of in the same context, such as –

“And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” Exodus 19:11

“especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’” Deuteronomy 4:10

&

“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18

“Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Kings 8:9

These and other references show that the names are being used synonymously when speaking of the same mountain and area around it.

Life application: In the life application from the previous verse, it was noted that Moses was not yet ready to lead Israel when he was in Egypt. Therefore, he went to Midian and spent forty years in obscurity. In this verse, we can see that the Lord appeared to him in a bush at Sinai. It wasn’t for Moses to decide when the Lord would act. Rather, it was the Lord who appeared and who will direct Moses.

It is not to be assumed that the Lord is going to appear to any of us and tell us what to do. It is even unscriptural to think that it could or will happen. The Bible says that we live by faith, not by sight. To have the Lord appear and direct us is not living by faith.

However, we can – and should – ask for the Lord to direct us. We can do this in various ways. One is to ask Him to direct your ways. “Lord, I am unsure of which way to go. I must make a choice, and so be with me to make the right one.”

In this, you are acknowledging His presence in your life and making a petition that He will be a part of the process that guides you.

Another way is to ask Him to not let anything happen contrary to His will. This is basically the same thing as before but in a negative petition. “Lord, please don’t let this happen if it is not what is right for us or if it is contrary to what You would want us to do.”

You can add others in when making such petitions as well. “Lord, I pray that the decision I make will not negatively affect anyone else.” And so on.

The main point of this is that you are including the Lord in your every action and decision. It is an acknowledgment of faith that you believe He is there and that He is truly concerned about the actions you take and the decisions you make. This is why Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7).

Be sure to include Him in all you do. Acknowledge Him and He will be pleased with this.

Lord God, thank You for being ever-present with us. We know that You are there, and we pray that You direct our steps according to Your wisdom. Keep us from taking the wrong paths in life. Instead, may our steps always be in accord with what is right and proper, by which we will keep from harming others and ourselves. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Heroes of the Alamo Memorial

Thursday, 5 May 2022

Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. Acts 7:29

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Moses, being challenged by one of the Israelites he encountered, was asked, “Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?” With that, Stephen continues the narrative with, “Then, at this saying, Moses fled.” The reason for this, which is left out by Stephen now, is found in Exodus 2 –

“So Moses feared and said, ‘Surely this thing is known!’ ¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.” Exodus 2:14, 15

Moses thought that his killing of the Egyptian was done in secret. That was seen earlier in Exodus 2 where it said, “So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” (Exodus 1:12). He thought his act had gone unnoticed, but it had not. Soon, it became known even to Pharaoh who then sought Moses for punishment. That is when Moses fled. With this context more fully understood, Stephen’s words continue with, “and became a dweller in the land of Midian.”

The location of Midian has never been exactly determined. Those who believe Mt. Sinai is on the Sinai Peninsula (once known as Arabia Petraea) would place it in the body of land going from the land of Moab and extending south along the eastern shore of the peninsula. Others believe Mt. Sinai is where Saudi Arabia is today. If so, Midian would have to be somewhere further east in that area.

Its location is less important than the fact that the Lord was always aware of where Moses was, and He interacted with him there. The Lord is not simply a local god that dwells in the land of Canaan, but He is the one true God who is not bound by physical limitations. He can and does deal with people in any location in order to meet His set purposes.

As for Moses dwelling in Midian, Stephen notes that is “where he had two sons.” While in Midian, he married Zipporah. She was the daughter of Reuel, the priest of Midian. Their first son was named Gershom. This is recorded in Exodus 2 –

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
¹⁸ When they came to Reuel their father, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so soon today?’
¹⁹ And they said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.’
²⁰ So he said to his daughters, ‘And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.’
²¹ Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. ²² And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’” Exodus 2:16-22

The second son’s name is Eliezer. He is first recorded in Exodus 18:4.

Life application: Moses was forty (Acts 7:23) at the time he killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian. He was then in Midian for forty years. After all that time, the Lord visited him on Mount Sinai in the burning bush (Acts. 7:30). The Lord determined when He would appear to Moses, and it was at an age when most people were on their way out (see Psalm 90:10). And yet, he was just starting the most productive third of his life.

We may not see the big changes coming that the Lord plans for our lives, but when they come, we should be willing to recognize His hand in what has occurred and use the events to bring Him glory in whatever capacity He has chosen for us.

Moses shepherded flocks for forty years, as can be deduced from Exodus 3:1. Some might see this as a dull existence, but it was a part of the Lord’s plan for him. Today, he is one of the most well-known names in all of human history. Those forty years did nothing to detract from what we think of him. They were simply a part of what the Lord had determined.

No matter what our job is, where we live, or how simple we find our surroundings, let us consider that it is no different than what occurred with Moses. If the Lord keeps us there forever, or if He determines something great and exciting for the future, it really doesn’t matter if we are living for Him. For those in Christ, the days of the life we now live will end, and there will be eternal days of wonder when we are in our true, heavenly home.

Lord God, help us to be encouraged in the lives we live. Whatever our station is, You have allowed it to be so. May we consider this and be willing to live for You, no matter where we are or whatever our vocation may be. As long as we are honoring You with this life, we are doing what is good and proper. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Terry’s Texas Rangers – Eighth Texas Cavalry

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday? Acts 7:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse saw the Israelite who was doing wrong to his fellow Israelite push Moses away and ask, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” His words to Moses continue in this verse with, “Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?”

Stephen’s words are close to those of Exodus 2:14, which say, “Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” The tone of the man cannot be known, but it is obvious that he is poking at Moses. The intent of Moses was to separate the two and bring about harmony. However, the one who was bullying the other wanted to continue with his perverse actions and now flippantly speaks out his words to Moses as if he were some type of common murderer who took joy in killing.

The parallel to the leaders of Israel is obvious. Jesus had rebuked the leaders for their treatment of their own people. This is found in Matthew 23 and in Luke 11. Just a portion of that says –

“Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.” Luke 11:46-48

The leaders of Israel oppressed the people. Jesus addressed this personally and the leaders didn’t like it, just as the man Stephen is referring to took offense at Moses for trying to stop the wrong he was doing to his own brother Israelite. It is the same attitude of the heart that the Bible addresses between the two as it reveals the rejection of Moses’ words and later the rejection of Jesus’ words.

Life application: One has to beware of who to interact with, even in the church. Just because someone claims to be a Christian, it does not mean he has positive intent towards those around him. The epistles of Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude all deal with people in the church who do not have the good of others in mind –

“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. ¹⁷ And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, ¹⁸ who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.” 2 Timothy 2:16-18

“But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? ⁷ Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” James 2:6, 7

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 2 Peter 2:1, 2

“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. ¹⁰ Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” 3 John -9, 10

“These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; ¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude -12, 13

As this is such a common warning among the writers of the New Testament, we should pay heed. Both those in the church and those over the church must be carefully evaluated in doctrine and in how they conduct their lives. Be accepting of the brotherhood but be careful at the same time.

Lord God, give us wisdom in our interactions with others. There are many who are out there to take advantage of the fellowship, tearing others apart like ravenous wolves. May we be mindful of them and keep them from dividing the church and bringing harm to the fellowship. Yes, give us wisdom in this, O God. Amen.

Cannon, shiny, one each.

Tuesday, 3 May 2022

“But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Acts 7:27

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse had Moses trying to reconcile the Israelites who were fighting. That now continues with, “But he who did his neighbor wrong.”

In the commentary of the previous verse, a proverb was cited, warning people to not get involved in a quarrel that is not their own. The reason is that one or both of the people are bound to turn and bite at you. In this case, it is the one who was the wrongdoer in the argument. He is obviously a bully, and he has taken offense at someone attempting to correct his wrongdoing. With his state of anger turned towards Moses, it says he then “pushed him away.”

This is not recorded in the Exodus account –

“And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, ‘Why are you striking your companion?’
¹⁴ Then he said, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’” Exodus 2:13, 14

Stephen’s words are as much a theological addition as anything else. A main point of what he is conveying is the rebellious nature of Israel in general, especially to those in authority over them or those who are willing to guide and instruct them, most especially the Lord.

In His incarnation, this is exactly what they had done. They had “pushed him away,” rejecting His appointed authority over them. The similarity continues with the final words of the verse, where Stephen says this bully was “saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?’”

It was obvious that Moses was in a place of authority, even if it was only based on his adopted family’s status. His position, then, entitled him a level of respect not seen in his treatment by this miscreant. But this person’s actions are recorded specifically as a type of all of Israel throughout their history, pushing the authority of Moses (meaning the law that came through him) away. In this, they “pushed away” the authority of the Lord who gave that law through Moses.

Further, they “pushed away” the Lord Jesus who not only fulfilled the law but who then initiated a New Covenant in His blood. They rejected Him as their ruler, and they rejected Him as their judge. Ironically, in rejecting Jesus, they fell back on Moses (meaning the law), the same leader they had constantly rejected over their entire history –

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47

Life application: As a reminder to each of us, we need to not assume that we are any better than Israel. We read the words of the Old Testament, and even into the New, and we say, “Boy, they really were a disobedient nation. They rejected Moses and went their own way constantly.” This is true, they did. But Moses’ words came from the Lord.

Today, we have the word of the Lord through the apostles. And yet, do we faithfully follow what He says? Even on the best of days, we fall short of all that is expected of us. Some more than others. But when we are not obedient to what is given in the epistles, we are just like Israel.

Let us consider this, especially in 1) adding to the word things that are not in the word – pet peeves, legalistic precepts, and so on, 2) taking from the word (meaning not doing) things that are explicit, and 3) mishandling the word by not following sound rules of biblical interpretation. We must be especially careful to KNOW THE WORD, or we can never do these things with any reliability. Our doctrine will be at the whims of whatever we are told, but it will not be backed up with our own knowledge of whether what we are told is actually correct or not.

Glorious Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and tender mercy upon us through the giving of Your Son. Help us to show our thanks by desiring to know more about Him, about what He has done, and about how that knowledge comes through knowing Your word. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

Grounds at Austin Capitol.

Monday, 2 May 2022

And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ Acts 7:26

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Stephen will now explain the words of the previous verse concerning Moses. There, it said, “For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.” Their not understanding begins to be explained with the words, “And the next day he appeared to two of them.”

The word used signifies that he appeared in an unexpected way or suddenly. It is the kind of appearance that would describe someone having a vision or being sent from God. The use of this word is clearly hinting at the advent of Christ Jesus who came in an unexpected and sudden way. As for Moses, this unexpected appearance occurred “as they were fighting.”

One gets the sense of two men having a fight and Moses is suddenly there, as if he was destined to be the one to bring peace between the two. It is at this time, and with this unexpected appearance, that Moses “tried to reconcile them.”

The phrase is more literally rendered, “urged them to peace.” One can see a fight going on today and another person coming up and saying, “Hey guys, lighten up and calm down. There is no need for this!” Moses feels he is doing the right thing. It was laid upon his heart to visit his brethren, and instead of finding a group that is united and caring of one another, he finds fighting. In this state of things, he looks to bring reconciliation, “saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’”

Stephen gives more information than the original account in Exodus, which reads –

“And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, ‘Why are you striking your companion?’” Exodus 7:13

Stephen acknowledges the bond between the two and uses that as an anchor to then question why they would have enmity for one another. His words are undoubtedly chosen to reveal the attitude of Israel towards Jesus. That will be more fully expressed in the verses to come. Moses came to deliver his people from the bondage of Egypt and to unite them as a people under the Lord. Jesus came to deliver His people from the bondage of sin and to unite them as children of God.

Life application: Solomon was an observant man. He was able to look at the world around him and see how things should work, what is effective or ineffective, what will lead to peace and what will lead to trouble, and so on. It could be that he was reading this account of Moses from Exodus and then thought about other similar instances he had seen, and then penned the words of this proverb –

“He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.” Proverbs 26:17

Taking a dog by the ears means you are more than likely going to get bit. Such is true when you step into an already explosive situation. The two who are quarreling are set on fixing the matter themselves. When someone who has no stake in the matter sticks his nose into the fight, it is like bringing along a bucket of gasoline and an already lit match. Things will probably not go well.

Instead of bringing peace and reconciliation, the two who are fighting will find the interference unacceptable and are bound to take out their frustration on the meddler first, before finishing their own quarrel. Moses didn’t see this, and to this day, those who fail to heed the words of proverbs will continue to make exactly the same mistake. Human nature doesn’t change, so to gain wisdom, be sure to read and apply the words of Proverbs to your life.

Lord God, thank You for the wisdom Your word provides. If we will just apply it to our lives, things will go better for sure. Help us to display wisdom by reading and taking heed to Your word. You created us, and You have given the manual for proper operating conditions concerning us. Therefore, Lord, help us to tweak our walk before You so that all things will go smoothly! Amen.