Continuing blogging some thoughts as I go through teh Bible with the Murray M’Cheyne Plan.

Exodus 23

Verses 1-3,6-7 talk about lawsuits. Grace tells us we can deal with civil conflict within the church without recourse to the courts (1 Cor 6)
The sabbath laws point to the sabbath rest from works that comes when we trust Jesus for our salvation. Rest is still a good principle 😉
v20-33 are a prophecy of the coming conquest of Canaan and how the Lord will work among Israel.

Job 41

The Lord continues to show that we are powerless over creation in comparison to His sovereignty.
Could “Leviathan” describe some ancient dragon-like dinosaur that either survived to Job’s day, or survived in the collective memory of mankind, so that God could refer to it as an example. Job is asked if he could catch Leviathan with a hook through his nose. No! Satan is a serpent, so God is also telling Job he is powerless over Satan without the power of God.

John 2

Wedding – the wine runs out and Jesus turns water into wine. The jars are most likely ceremonial washing jars – so this is partly about showing the new wine supercedes the old covenant!
The cleansing of the Temple is a great narrative of Jesus’ mission on so many levels
The courts – were the area where the Gentiles could also come to find out about God, but can’t because the faithful are being ripped off by temple traders.

The pigeon sellers are picked out because they are exploiting the poor – pigeons were for the poor to sacrifice.

Jesus is the place of God’s presence now! And we are now – filled with the Spirit.

2 Cor 11

Paul boasts of his apostleship – suffering! Weakness! It’s not about a title. Apostle So and So.