pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: oppression


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Promises Offered

Readings: Exodus 5, Exodus 6, Exodus 7:1-13

Exodus 7:3 – “I’ll make Pharaoh stubborn, and I’ll perform many of my signs and amazing acts.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

On our second day in Exodus and our 17th day in the Bible Year project we read of the groundwork necessary for the plagues and for Israel being set free. In chapter 5 God sends Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh for the first time. They request a few days off for the slaves so that they can go and worship the Lord. Pharaoh refuses, saying, “I don’t know this Lord.” He will soon! Pharaoh responds by increasing their workload. The Israelites will now have to gather their own straw – and still make the same number of bricks! Their oppression increases. We can experience something like this at times. We look to God yet the night seems to get darker.

The Israelite supervisors come to Moses and Aaron and ask why they’ve made the Hebrews a “stink” to Pharaoh. They are upset. Moses goes to God, saying, “You’ve done absolutely nothing.” God takes it in and again reiterates the promises offered: rescue, great power, the Promised Land. But the Hebrews won’t hear it. They are too exhausted. Moses is discouraged. Yet God continues to speak to Moses and Aaron. God remains sure and true, keeping to and understanding the plan that Moses and the Hebrews cannot yet see. This reality is something that we need to hold to at times as well: God is in charge and God knows the plan.

Next we get the genealogy of Moses and Aaron. This establishes them as Levites. This clan will be set aside by God to be the priests in the tabernacle and, later, in the temple. Chapter 7 begins with more reassurance: “I’ll make Pharaoh stubborn, and I’ll perform many of my signs and amazing acts.” These words prepare Moses and Aaron for what will unfold in the next six chapters. Moses and Aaron then go to Pharaoh to give a demonstration of God’s power. The “magic tricks” end with Aaron’s rod/snake eating all the others. Case closed. God has the power. Pharaoh remains stubborn. These themes continue tomorrow as God’s plan of rescue unfolds!

Prayer: Lord God, when we feel hard pressed, when the night seems to get darker, remind us again of your constant presence and of the plans that you have for our good. In the moment, reassure us and give us the strength to both continue the walk and to hold tight to your hand. Amen.


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The Cycle

Reading: Judges 4:1-3

Verse 1: “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

This week we turn to the book of Judges. The judges were individuals, both men and women, that God raised up for relatively short periods of time. Their tasks were to lead, guide, and judge disputes. God would raise up a judge to get the people back to faithful living. This raising up was usually in response to their cry for help. This cry was most often a response to the consequences of their sin.

As today’s passage begins, we read, “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” This is a very familiar refrain throughout much of the Old Testament. The cycle of sin-consequence-cry out-repent-restoration is an oft-repeated cycle. In today’s instance, they are nearing the end of a 20-year consequence. They have experienced cruel oppression at the hands of a foreign power. That is a long time. It shapes and forms that generation much like the Depression and world wars shaped our grandparents and our great grandparents. This same shaping and forming recently happened during the COVID pandemic. While this event was not shaped by a nation’s sin, the impacts were not unlike what Israel suffered under Sisera many years ago. The fabric of community was torn, death and loss and other hardships were a daily reality, loneliness and isolation took their toll. It often felt more like surviving than living. We can relate to Israel crying out to God because we too cried out to God. Why?

Israel cried out to God because of the cycle. They knew that in spite of their sinful choices, God showed up again and again. They knew that God’s love would never fail and they trusted that God’s mercies would be new every morning. In our next crisis or hardship or time of separation from God, may we too cry out. God is faithful.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your enduring patience with me and with us. Sometimes I think we fail more often than we please you. Oh how we would quickly wear thin on one another if we were in your role! But you never tire of us or weary of our sin. Your love is ever steadfast, your grace ever true. Thank you, O God. Amen.


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Mercy and Justice

Reading: Psalm 123

Verse 3: “Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.”

This week’s Psalm is a song of ascents. It would’ve most often been sung as people made their way up to the temple. As they walked and as they prepared themselves for worship, the opening verse would set the tone: “I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.” Read today, these words feel like words spoken to a benevolent God who reigned from a distant place. Christ has not yet come to bring God’s presence among and within us.

Verse 2 can be difficult. Slaves and masters, maids and mistresses – these terms have negative connotations. We cannot dismiss them as “then” and skip on to verse 3. These relationships were common for a long time in our world and even in “Christian” circles. This is a sad truth of our common history. Here in the Psalm the writer parallels these relationships with their traditional relationship with God. It speaks to a dependence on the one with power, to a trust in their good care and benevolence. The psalmist looks to this God to show mercy to the people.

Verses 3 and 4 reveal the unfortunate reality of many power dynamics. The faithful in the Psalm are not the ones with power. They are enduring contempt and ridicule. Those with power are prideful and arrogant. The faithful call on a good God to have mercy, to end this injustice. At times we are in this position, calling in God to intervene on our behalf. In these times we too lift our eyes to heaven. But sometimes we are in an observers role – we are not the one with all the power but we do have some power to act. We see or become aware of an abuse of power. In these cases we cannot remain silent. Our good God calls on us to intercede on behalf of the oppressed, bringing justice and mercy to the situation. Stepping out in faith, the God of mercy will be with us.

Prayer: Lord God, walk with us day by day. In your presence, encourage us in those times of suffering. Be our defender, be our redeemer. And in your presence, O Lord, spur us to action when injustice and oppression are evident in our worlds. Empower us to work for justice and good. Walk with us day by day, O God. Amen.


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Room to Grow

Reading: Exodus 16:1-5

Verse 3b: “There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted.”

Just 3 days after witnessing the amazing miracle at the Red Sea, the grumbling begins. The first instance is because the water is bitter and they’re thirsty. Through yet another miracle, their thirst is quenched. A short while later, in today’s passage, the grumbling returns. This time they are in the Desert of Sin. I wonder if that is an actual physical place or if it is just a metaphor.

The Israelites are hungry. They are without food in the desert. They grumble to Moses: “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!” Are they longing to live once again under heavy oppression? Do they want to return to slavery? No, no, and no! When there is a want gnawing at us, we too can grumble. Yet the Israelites still say to Moses (and to God), “There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted.” When we look at that shiny new car next to our 2021 model or when we long for the good old days when the pews were full, we too can grumble in ways that don’t really make a lot of sense.

God doesn’t smite us down. God doesn’t say to the Israelites, ‘Fine, then, just go ahead and die out there in the desert.’ Just the opposite! God says, “I will rain down bread from heaven.” It’s not just a morsel. It’s not just enough to tide them over. God rains down bread. It is God’s loving and generous response to the peoples’ grumbling. There are some instructions too – a “test.” God has been faithful. Now that they have been provided for, will they too be faithful? This too is a question that we frequently wrestle with. The Israelites aren’t the only ones with room to grow.

Prayer: Lord God, in my heart of hearts I know that you are faithful. And loving and generous. Yet in my mind, I can go where the Israelites went. Wants and desires can creep in and I find myself grumbling – or complaining. My inner Eeyore rises up – woe is me! In these moments, whisper into my heart how much you love me. With these whispers, lead me back to a place of faith and trust. Amen.


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God’s Sanctuary and Dominion

Reading: Psalm 114

Verse 2: “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.”

For the psalmist, the exodus from under mighty Egypt’s oppression and the near-impossible rescue at the parting of the sea were two great examples of God in action. God acted on behalf of the beloved of God. You and I are beloved of God. So there are times and situations that you can look back on and say, ‘Yes, right then and there, God acted in my life.’ When has God freed you or saved you or rescued you? Like the psalmist does here, it is important for us too to remember and offer our thanksgiving to God. This is part of being God’s sanctuary and dominion.

In verses 5-6 the psalmist asks a great question. He or she ponders over why the waters part and why the mountains and hills quake. They do so because they are “in the presence of the Lord.” God’s power and might and majesty are over all of creation. They are over you and me. As we recognize God’s sovereign hand in all of creation and in our lives, we too humbly now and honor almighty God. This too is part of being God’s sanctuary and dominion.

In verse 2 we read, “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” This speaks of relationship and connection. It speaks of intimacy and commitment. You and I are part of God’s family. God is our sanctuary – both the place where we worship and the place we go to feel safe and protected. God is our dominion – both the one who is steadfast and true and the one to whom we commit our lives and faith. Thank you, God, for being our sanctuary and our dominion.

Prayer: Lord God, you are our all in all. With you we lack nothing that we need. You are ever-present and almighty. You are personal and intimate. May our lives be expressions of our gratitude for our connection with you. Amen.


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Emptied To Be Filled

Reading: Isaiah 58:6-12

Verse 6: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…?”

Photo credit: Daniel Hooper

Moving on from the ways that the Israelites “seem” to want to be close to and to know God, especially through fasting, God shifts gears, asking, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…?” The answer to this question is wide and involved. The answers are a series of actions that reveal how we are to be salt and light in the world.

The expressions of light and love that God calls us to begin with fighting injustice and ending oppression. God next calls us to provide food and shelter and clothing to those in need. Lastly God calls (or maybe challenges) us to not turn away from our own “flesh and blood.” These actions align us with the will of God and they mirror the life and preaching of Jesus Christ. A fast or any other spiritual discipline that draws us closer to God should lead us to better reflect God out into the world. If it does not, then we are fooling ourselves and falling woefully short of who and what God created and wants us to be.

A true drawing close to God will naturally lead to an emptying of self. As we deepen our relationship with God it deepens our relationships with one another – friend and stranger alike. As we are emptied, God fills us with love and compassion and mercy and many other things that lead us into humble service. And as we fill ourselves with the will and way of God we experience God’s presence. From there may we choose to allow that presence to guide us out into the world, empowering others to experience the life-changing power of God. O Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, may my worship of you not stop simply between me and you. May my worship be revealed in all aspects of my life. As I seek to yield more and more to your will and way, guide me to reveal who and what you are to a world in need. Amen.


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Rejoice and Be Glad

Reading: Matthew 5:10-12

Verse 11: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

The closing verses of the Beatitudes bring home the reality that the practice of our faith can bring challenge and trial to our life. The demands that Christ places upon us to be love and grace and mercy lived out in the world – these practices will create tension and even angry responses at times. When our faith leads us to take a stand against an injustice or oppression or other evil actions of the world, the one(s) causing these evils will react against our presence and the words of truth that we speak. The reaction often takes the form of some type of persecution.

In verses 10 and 11 Jesus tells us “blessed are” you when we are persecuted. He unpacks what we may experience in verses 11: “when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” When we shine the light of truth into the darkness of the world, that darkness tries to snuff out the light. Darkness cannot stand being in the light. Darkness will try anything to avoid being in that light. Jesus tells us to “rejoice and be glad” when the darkness strikes against us. He can say this because he knows the same truth that we do: “great is your reward in heaven.” Living faithfully may we rejoice in this promise always.

Prayer: Lord God, give me the strength and courage to live faithfully at all times, especially in those situations that may bring challenge and hardship. I know you are with me at all times – good, bad, and in between. Use me to stand and speak for those without the power or ability to do so for themselves. Amen.


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Rise Up, O God

Reading: Psalm 82

Verse 8: “Rise up, O God, judge the earth.”

Psalm 82 calls God’s attention to the wicked and to those practicing oppression. The writer of the Psalm, Asaph, calls for God to “rise up” and to “judge the earth.” As he looks at the state of affairs in the world, Asaph’s heart is broken for the “cause of the weak and fatherless” and for the “rights of the poor and oppressed.” He calls on God to rescue and deliver these from the “hand of the wicked.” These concerns that touch Asaph’s heart also touch God’s heart. So Asaph asks God, “How long?”

Asaph wants God to judge those who “walk about in darkness” as they practice evil and live self-centered lives. If honest, I must admit that there are times when I see or encounter people being greedy or selfish or mean and I hope that God intervenes and gives them their due. I too think or ask, “How long?”

As I write these words I look forward to today and to upcoming event that are planned, I’d love to live many more years on this earth. For Asaph there was a reality that when he asked God to “rise up” and bring judgment that he too would be included in that time of judgment. The same is true for me. And for you. Although far from perfect, I am covered by the blood of Jesus and hope to one day attain my eternal inheritance. Day by day I seek to resist the pull to be greedy and selfish. Day by day I seek to bring light and love into the darkness and pain of this world. A great day of judgment is coming. May we be found worthy of standing in the great cloud of witness.

Prayer: Lord God, lead me day by day so that all I do and say and think may be pleasing in your sight. Turn me from evil when temptation arises. Guard my heart against pride and selfishness. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Like the Dawn

Reading: Isaiah 58:6-12

Verse 8: “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.”

Today is Ash Wednesday. Some will gather for worship. It will focus on our mortality, on our limits. It will invite us to admit our weakness and to commit to a season of dying to self as we seek to grow in our Christlikeness. Lent should be a challenging season. It calls us to look within and to root out those parts of self that lead to temptation and sin, to selfishness and an inward focus. Today’s words from Isaiah 58 speak to all of this.

As we turn to today’s passage, we begin with a question: what if God is not really talking about a traditional fast? When we think of fasting we tend to think of abstaining from something. Chocolate and alcohol and television used to be popular. More recently coffee and social media and cell phones have entered the conversation. But when we read verses 7 and 8, God is calling for a different kind of fast. It is a fast that involves doing or action instead of giving up some item. It is a fast that calls us outside of self and towards engaging and serving others. In many ways God is calling us to fast from selfishness and our inward focus.

God calls faithful people to fight injustice and oppression, to feed and shelter and clothe. God is calling us to stand with and for those who are downtrodden, mistreated, abused. God is calling us to walk alongside those with physical needs. It is a call to fast from self, to pour oneself out for others, to humbly serve as Christ served. To realize that this is the fast God is calling us to may lead some to slide back into the relative ease of giving up sweets or Facebook. May it not be so for you and for me.

In verses 8 and 9 we gain insight into the yield or fruits of living this kind of a fast. In verse 8 God says, “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear” and in verse 9 adds, “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer.” When we focus not on self but on God and those around us, then we are close to the heart of God and God is close to us. This deep and intimate connection is the product of righteous and humble faith. In verse 11 God says, “Then your light will rise in the darkness.” Our light and God’s light will shine upon all who are near, upon all who are thirsty, upon all who are searching, upon all who are hurting, upon all who are broken. These will be drawn to the light of God’s love. In that light, God will say, “Here I am.”

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see and live outside of myself. Heal me from self. Open my eyes and heart to all those around me who need to be drawn into the light of your love. Amen.


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Known by Justice

Reading: Psalm 9: 9-20

Verses 15-16: “The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug… The Lord is known by his justice”.

Photo credit: Kalea Morgan

David begins our passage by declaring the Lord a refuge and stronghold. God is a God of all peoples yet has a heart for those on the edges. This was clearly visible in the life and ministry of Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus gravitated towards and attracted the marginalized, the outcast, the lost, the least. As a nation we have wandered far from the example set by Jesus.

In verses fifteen and sixteen we read, “The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug… The Lord is known by his justice”. In most “modern” nations individualism and greed have guided our culture and leaders. Finding a humble servant on that stage is rare today. Success and profit margins, status and power, appearances and materialism – all have become woes of our nation. Elevating these values and goals has clearly decreased how we as a society value those without these things. Worse yet, those with see it as their right to exploit, oppress, and manipulate these unjust economic and political dynamics to increase the gap between the haves and have nots.

How would God look upon our land today? “The Lord is known by his justice”. As Christians are we known for our stance against injustice, for our work to end oppression in whatever form it presents itself?

Later in the Psalm David writes, “The needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish”. As God’s people, may we walk alongside those in need; may we walk hand in hand with those being afflicted. May we join the Lord in the healing of the nations.

Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes to the needs and afflictions in my little corner of the world. The work must begin at home. Lead and guide me to stand for justice and equality for all. Amen.