주일낮설교(한영중)
Enlightenment in Life
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1,574
2017.02.03 14:04
Enlightenment in Life
Andrew Carnegie, who is a steel magnate, earned a lot of money through his steel industry. However, as he was growing up, he went through a lot of financial struggles, but after he became the president of steel company, he was a millionaire. He had the chance to enjoy his money and live a comfortable life for a long time, but suddenly, he decided to come out of his business.
Andrew Carnegie explained his reason for leaving the company,
“I lived half of my life focusing on making money. Now I realize that for the other half of my life, I want to spend it for God’s work and help in supporting the social welfare. This is because God gave me an unimaginable blessing in my life. Since there is only one life, I want to live it unregrettably. I decide what I realized now is how I want to live my life.”
The second half of his life was very remarkable. He led to the development of 2,509 public libraries. He also built the famous Carneglie Mellon University, and led to important education and peace foundations. He donated 90% of his possession to his society.
Carnegie said these words very often, which are from Psalm chapter 49, verse 20, “people who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Realizing this is a important and is a blessing on its own.”
This is very true. In Psalm 119 verse 34, it is stated “Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart” and in Psalm Chapter 119 verse 169, it says, “May my cry come before you, Lord; give e understanding according to your word.”
May realization be a blessing to all of you, who came from all over the different nations.
Today, this scripture describes the experiences that Israelites had, who were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years. They were led by Moses, who was the servant of God, across the Red Sea. They drank from the water that sprung from the stone, which Moses hit with a staff in the dessert. They were covered by the pillar of clouds that God sent in the light and they were covered by the pillar of fire in the dark. Even though they never had to farm for their foods during the 40 years, God provided foods of manna and quails. Even more, they never lacked the simple things such as clothes.
They experienced miracles, as God broke the walls of Jericho. Even though they failed to gain the castle of Ai and had to carry the ark of acacia wood across the Jordan river, afterwards, they took over the land of Canaan and divided the lands amongst the each of the twelve tribes.
In today’s scripture, Joshua describes to the Israelites about his realization when he look back on how God has helped him in his life. In Joshua chapter 24 verse 14, it says “now therefore.”
This describes the point at which Israelites are being brought out from Egypt and are dividing the land of Canaan. There were only two men amongst the twenty million who reached Promised Land. They were Joshua and Caleb. They were living witnesses to the Israelites’ Exodus, passing through the wilderness, and crossing of Jordan river.
Today’s scripture of Joshua 24:14 states “now fear the Lord and serve with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua and Caleb experienced God’s grace and love countless times through their exodus and journey through wilderness. Then they entered God’s Promised Land, land flowing and milk and honey. Through these experiences, Joshua and Caleb could not help but praised the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness.
This is why Joshua and Caleb told Israelites that they would only serve the Lord. Repenting on the sins of Israelites, Joshua declares that him and his household will serve only the Lord.
Then what were the false idols that the Israelites served? In today’s scripture, verse 14 states that they were gods the forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years. While they were in Egypt, they served the gods that the Egyptians served.
Then what were the gods that the Egyptians served? The ten plagues revealed the idols that Egyptians served.
The ten plagues were the idols that Egyptians served and these idols in turn, were worshipped by the Israelites during their stay for 430 years.
What are the idols of our own lives? Money, academics, power, fame or respect? However, we should be under guard not to make the same mistakes that the Israelites made by worshiping their idols. The ten plagues were blood (피), frogs (개구리), lice (이), flies(파리), pestilence (악질) , boils (독종), hail (우박), locusts(메뚜기), darkness(흑암), and the death of the first-born(장자). In short, Pee-Gae-E-Pa-Ak-Dok-Woo-Mae-Heuk-Jang (피개이파 악독우매 흑장). Lets say this a loud and memorize it, Pee-Gae-Ee-Pa-Ak-Dok-Woo-Mae-Heuk-Jang (피개이파 악독우매 흑장).
The Nile River was worshipped for its centrality in Egyptians’ lives. There were two Gods in connection to the Nile River: Khnum and Hapi. In those times and as well as today, the water is biggest factor in farming. Abundant amount of water always makes the harvest big. That is why Egyptians deified the water of Nile.
The frogs were also deified in the name of Heqet. The Nile floods in every rainy season, and the flood transports fertile and nutrient-rich soil from the upper Nile to the downstream. Those who farms know that they have to bring soil to replace the infertile soil every few years. This is important because it provide necessary nutrients for farming. Even in Leviticus, God tells us let the land rest every seven years. The purpose is that the land will recover for fertility and through this, there will be successful harvest.
Every rainy season, soils from the upstream of the Nile naturally replace the soils from the downstream of the Nile. Around this time, frogs come out to the land, which made the Egyptians believe that the Frogs were helping with the farming. Which then rendered frogs as the objects to worship.
After that lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first -born followed. But these reflect the idols that Israelites also worshipped, indicating that the they held same values as the Egyptians. When the Egyptians farmed, their success occurred only when there was abundance of water. This is true. This does not go against the reasoning.
Especially, Israelites resided near Egypt’s lower Nile, Goshen. Joseph’s father Jacob, and seventy Israelites worked as herders of animals. The necessity of herding animals is abundance of water and grass. You need water for grass as well. Therefore of the abundance of Nile water is in the yearning hearts of the Israelites. It is God who created the Heavens and the Earth. And yet, through their stay at Egypt for 430 years, Israelites have become like the Egyptians.
But God changed the water of the Nile into blood. So what does this mean? We know that Egyptians god Khnam was worshipped by the Israelites. However, it was not Khnum who allowed for this abundance. It was God, the creator of Heaven and the Earth, who waters the soils and brings life.
So when the water of the Nile changed into blood and when the water of the wells change into blood, the Egyptians then realized that abundance of the Nile was not a god that promised them wealth and security.
Furthermore, for the Israelites who witnessed these events, they were then freed from the false notion that the Nile was a god that gave them wealth and security.
The idol Khnum that hold of the hearts for 430 years lost its grip of Isrealites’ hearts. What’s more, all realized that worshiping the Nile was pitiful. Hallelujah!!!!!
Joshua makes Israelites look back at their pasts in worshiping the Egyptian gods and had them repent over their wrong doings, as he states, “throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the God.”
When Egyptians served Heqet, the god of fertility portrayed by frogs, then frogs literally became a god to them. Soon you have to prepare for rice harvest. In order to prepare for rice harvest, you have first install seed beds. For this, you have to gather water in the field and seedbeds. Then the frogs will cry out in the morning and the evening. Whenever Israelites hear the frog sounds, they expect this to be a good sign of successful harvest. Then they will pray to the frogs for another year of successful harvesting. Unconsciously, they came to hold frogs as deities in their hearts.
However this notion that frog brought good harvest was challenged when Moses struck the river with his staff. Upon hitting the river, endless horde of frogs came out the river. Without much thought, when Egyptians saw the frogs, they rejoiced, thinking that there will be another year of good harvest. However, this was not end of story. As stated in Exodus 8:3,
“the Nile will teem with frogs. They will come into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs” Amen.
When Egyptians saw the frogs, their first reaction might have been rejoicing, for frogs meant good fortune. However, frogs came to be everywhere, from your bed sheets and into your kitchen. Just everywhere, frogs and frogs, everywhere!
Imagine you were the Egyptians. Would you have still thought that this horde of frogs were signs of another plentiful year? No! Frogs were found teeming within their bed sheets; think about the disgust you would have felt when these frogs were with you in bed while you were trying to go to sleep. There’s more. Frogs jumping around while you are trying to eat, frogs knocking down everything inside your household, and frogs damaging your nice clothes that you bought for a wedding the next day. Devastation must have ensued from the plague of frogs.
Again I ask you. Could the frogs have maintained their status as god of fertility and wealth? No! What would the Israelites have thought when they witnessed this firsthand? Could the Heqet, the god of fertility and wealth, maintain its status?
They could not have killed the frogs, because frogs were gods to them. They wouldn’t drive these frogs out, because frogs symbolized for good fortune. Due to the devastating plague of the frogs, Heqet must have eventually lost its status as a god.
Lets take a step further and look at Exodus 8:13-14, “and the Lord did what Moses asked. Frogs died in the houses and the courtyards and in the fields. They were piled into heaps, and the land wreak of them.” Amen.
As the frogs died, not just one or two, but a massive horde of deaths, the god represented by the frogs, Heqet, must have seemed to be dead among the Egyptians. What would have the Egyptians thought about the death of their god, Heqet?
They must have said, “ AH~~ Great. The frogs are finally dead and they will not be able to bother my household or me. I will never, ever worship them again.”
I have presented you with some speculations as to how it must have been for the Egyptians to experience the plague of frogs. One might question the accuracy of what I presented. However, I claim that I only presented the bare minimum. Their experience must have been similar to what I have described, if not worse. Imagine the smell and disgust of the frogs. What a horrendous sight. Surely, after this the Egyptians must have lost their allegiance to the god resented by the frogs.
The Egyptian god, Heqet, the god of fertility and wealth must have been removed from the hearts of the Egyptians, and for the Israelites, this assured them that God is Lord and that Heqet is nothing but a false idol.
In today’s scripture, Joshua and Caleb are the remaining Israelites who experienced the worship of these Egyptian gods, Khnum and Heqet, and saw the futility in serving them with help from God. We see how Khnum, the god of water, had turned into blood, and how Heqet, god of fertility, became devastation. Israelites must have seen and concluded the falseness of Khnum and Heqet.
Joshua exhorts Israel to serve the only praiseworthy Lord our God. God who created the Heavens and the Earth; God who allowed Israelites to cross the Red Sea; God who provided water that sprung from stones when hit with Moses’ staff; God who provided manna for food every morning in addition to quails; God who protected the Israelites with pillar of fire at night and provided them warmth; God who provided cool shades for the Israelites in the sun-scorching desert; God who sustained the Israelites for 40 years although they never farmed for their foods. This is the only true Almighty God who we should serve with all our hearts. Hallelujah!
They drank from the water that sprung from the stone, which Moses hit with a staff in the dessert. They were covered by the pillar of clouds that God sent in the light and they were covered by the pillar of fire in the dark. Even though they never had to farm for their foods during the 40 years, God provided foods of manna and quails. Even more, they never lacked the simple things such as clothes.
Joshua repents about the past and tells all of the Israelites, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.” He then declares, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Here we are gathered this morning and listening to Joshua’s commitment to God. We should be grateful for all the things that Lord has provided us with and have a heart of humbled gratitude for Lord our God.
Furthermore, let use examine verse 15, “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Amen
This is Joshua’s assured declaration to praise God. He declares all the idols as mere creations in the eyes of the Creator our God. All of us here may have served our own idols and we might have believed that they will bring us blessings. However, through Joshua’s declaration, we are, again, convicted of the fact that it is our Almighty God who created this world and has authority over all of his creations. As for us, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will all follow after Joshua’s commitment when he said, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Andrew Carnegie, who is a steel magnate, earned a lot of money through his steel industry. However, as he was growing up, he went through a lot of financial struggles, but after he became the president of steel company, he was a millionaire. He had the chance to enjoy his money and live a comfortable life for a long time, but suddenly, he decided to come out of his business.
Andrew Carnegie explained his reason for leaving the company,
“I lived half of my life focusing on making money. Now I realize that for the other half of my life, I want to spend it for God’s work and help in supporting the social welfare. This is because God gave me an unimaginable blessing in my life. Since there is only one life, I want to live it unregrettably. I decide what I realized now is how I want to live my life.”
The second half of his life was very remarkable. He led to the development of 2,509 public libraries. He also built the famous Carneglie Mellon University, and led to important education and peace foundations. He donated 90% of his possession to his society.
Carnegie said these words very often, which are from Psalm chapter 49, verse 20, “people who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Realizing this is a important and is a blessing on its own.”
This is very true. In Psalm 119 verse 34, it is stated “Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart” and in Psalm Chapter 119 verse 169, it says, “May my cry come before you, Lord; give e understanding according to your word.”
May realization be a blessing to all of you, who came from all over the different nations.
Today, this scripture describes the experiences that Israelites had, who were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years. They were led by Moses, who was the servant of God, across the Red Sea. They drank from the water that sprung from the stone, which Moses hit with a staff in the dessert. They were covered by the pillar of clouds that God sent in the light and they were covered by the pillar of fire in the dark. Even though they never had to farm for their foods during the 40 years, God provided foods of manna and quails. Even more, they never lacked the simple things such as clothes.
They experienced miracles, as God broke the walls of Jericho. Even though they failed to gain the castle of Ai and had to carry the ark of acacia wood across the Jordan river, afterwards, they took over the land of Canaan and divided the lands amongst the each of the twelve tribes.
In today’s scripture, Joshua describes to the Israelites about his realization when he look back on how God has helped him in his life. In Joshua chapter 24 verse 14, it says “now therefore.”
This describes the point at which Israelites are being brought out from Egypt and are dividing the land of Canaan. There were only two men amongst the twenty million who reached Promised Land. They were Joshua and Caleb. They were living witnesses to the Israelites’ Exodus, passing through the wilderness, and crossing of Jordan river.
Today’s scripture of Joshua 24:14 states “now fear the Lord and serve with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua and Caleb experienced God’s grace and love countless times through their exodus and journey through wilderness. Then they entered God’s Promised Land, land flowing and milk and honey. Through these experiences, Joshua and Caleb could not help but praised the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness.
This is why Joshua and Caleb told Israelites that they would only serve the Lord. Repenting on the sins of Israelites, Joshua declares that him and his household will serve only the Lord.
Then what were the false idols that the Israelites served? In today’s scripture, verse 14 states that they were gods the forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years. While they were in Egypt, they served the gods that the Egyptians served.
Then what were the gods that the Egyptians served? The ten plagues revealed the idols that Egyptians served.
The ten plagues were the idols that Egyptians served and these idols in turn, were worshipped by the Israelites during their stay for 430 years.
What are the idols of our own lives? Money, academics, power, fame or respect? However, we should be under guard not to make the same mistakes that the Israelites made by worshiping their idols. The ten plagues were blood (피), frogs (개구리), lice (이), flies(파리), pestilence (악질) , boils (독종), hail (우박), locusts(메뚜기), darkness(흑암), and the death of the first-born(장자). In short, Pee-Gae-E-Pa-Ak-Dok-Woo-Mae-Heuk-Jang (피개이파 악독우매 흑장). Lets say this a loud and memorize it, Pee-Gae-Ee-Pa-Ak-Dok-Woo-Mae-Heuk-Jang (피개이파 악독우매 흑장).
The Nile River was worshipped for its centrality in Egyptians’ lives. There were two Gods in connection to the Nile River: Khnum and Hapi. In those times and as well as today, the water is biggest factor in farming. Abundant amount of water always makes the harvest big. That is why Egyptians deified the water of Nile.
The frogs were also deified in the name of Heqet. The Nile floods in every rainy season, and the flood transports fertile and nutrient-rich soil from the upper Nile to the downstream. Those who farms know that they have to bring soil to replace the infertile soil every few years. This is important because it provide necessary nutrients for farming. Even in Leviticus, God tells us let the land rest every seven years. The purpose is that the land will recover for fertility and through this, there will be successful harvest.
Every rainy season, soils from the upstream of the Nile naturally replace the soils from the downstream of the Nile. Around this time, frogs come out to the land, which made the Egyptians believe that the Frogs were helping with the farming. Which then rendered frogs as the objects to worship.
After that lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first -born followed. But these reflect the idols that Israelites also worshipped, indicating that the they held same values as the Egyptians. When the Egyptians farmed, their success occurred only when there was abundance of water. This is true. This does not go against the reasoning.
Especially, Israelites resided near Egypt’s lower Nile, Goshen. Joseph’s father Jacob, and seventy Israelites worked as herders of animals. The necessity of herding animals is abundance of water and grass. You need water for grass as well. Therefore of the abundance of Nile water is in the yearning hearts of the Israelites. It is God who created the Heavens and the Earth. And yet, through their stay at Egypt for 430 years, Israelites have become like the Egyptians.
But God changed the water of the Nile into blood. So what does this mean? We know that Egyptians god Khnam was worshipped by the Israelites. However, it was not Khnum who allowed for this abundance. It was God, the creator of Heaven and the Earth, who waters the soils and brings life.
So when the water of the Nile changed into blood and when the water of the wells change into blood, the Egyptians then realized that abundance of the Nile was not a god that promised them wealth and security.
Furthermore, for the Israelites who witnessed these events, they were then freed from the false notion that the Nile was a god that gave them wealth and security.
The idol Khnum that hold of the hearts for 430 years lost its grip of Isrealites’ hearts. What’s more, all realized that worshiping the Nile was pitiful. Hallelujah!!!!!
Joshua makes Israelites look back at their pasts in worshiping the Egyptian gods and had them repent over their wrong doings, as he states, “throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the God.”
When Egyptians served Heqet, the god of fertility portrayed by frogs, then frogs literally became a god to them. Soon you have to prepare for rice harvest. In order to prepare for rice harvest, you have first install seed beds. For this, you have to gather water in the field and seedbeds. Then the frogs will cry out in the morning and the evening. Whenever Israelites hear the frog sounds, they expect this to be a good sign of successful harvest. Then they will pray to the frogs for another year of successful harvesting. Unconsciously, they came to hold frogs as deities in their hearts.
However this notion that frog brought good harvest was challenged when Moses struck the river with his staff. Upon hitting the river, endless horde of frogs came out the river. Without much thought, when Egyptians saw the frogs, they rejoiced, thinking that there will be another year of good harvest. However, this was not end of story. As stated in Exodus 8:3,
“the Nile will teem with frogs. They will come into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs” Amen.
When Egyptians saw the frogs, their first reaction might have been rejoicing, for frogs meant good fortune. However, frogs came to be everywhere, from your bed sheets and into your kitchen. Just everywhere, frogs and frogs, everywhere!
Imagine you were the Egyptians. Would you have still thought that this horde of frogs were signs of another plentiful year? No! Frogs were found teeming within their bed sheets; think about the disgust you would have felt when these frogs were with you in bed while you were trying to go to sleep. There’s more. Frogs jumping around while you are trying to eat, frogs knocking down everything inside your household, and frogs damaging your nice clothes that you bought for a wedding the next day. Devastation must have ensued from the plague of frogs.
Again I ask you. Could the frogs have maintained their status as god of fertility and wealth? No! What would the Israelites have thought when they witnessed this firsthand? Could the Heqet, the god of fertility and wealth, maintain its status?
They could not have killed the frogs, because frogs were gods to them. They wouldn’t drive these frogs out, because frogs symbolized for good fortune. Due to the devastating plague of the frogs, Heqet must have eventually lost its status as a god.
Lets take a step further and look at Exodus 8:13-14, “and the Lord did what Moses asked. Frogs died in the houses and the courtyards and in the fields. They were piled into heaps, and the land wreak of them.” Amen.
As the frogs died, not just one or two, but a massive horde of deaths, the god represented by the frogs, Heqet, must have seemed to be dead among the Egyptians. What would have the Egyptians thought about the death of their god, Heqet?
They must have said, “ AH~~ Great. The frogs are finally dead and they will not be able to bother my household or me. I will never, ever worship them again.”
I have presented you with some speculations as to how it must have been for the Egyptians to experience the plague of frogs. One might question the accuracy of what I presented. However, I claim that I only presented the bare minimum. Their experience must have been similar to what I have described, if not worse. Imagine the smell and disgust of the frogs. What a horrendous sight. Surely, after this the Egyptians must have lost their allegiance to the god resented by the frogs.
The Egyptian god, Heqet, the god of fertility and wealth must have been removed from the hearts of the Egyptians, and for the Israelites, this assured them that God is Lord and that Heqet is nothing but a false idol.
In today’s scripture, Joshua and Caleb are the remaining Israelites who experienced the worship of these Egyptian gods, Khnum and Heqet, and saw the futility in serving them with help from God. We see how Khnum, the god of water, had turned into blood, and how Heqet, god of fertility, became devastation. Israelites must have seen and concluded the falseness of Khnum and Heqet.
Joshua exhorts Israel to serve the only praiseworthy Lord our God. God who created the Heavens and the Earth; God who allowed Israelites to cross the Red Sea; God who provided water that sprung from stones when hit with Moses’ staff; God who provided manna for food every morning in addition to quails; God who protected the Israelites with pillar of fire at night and provided them warmth; God who provided cool shades for the Israelites in the sun-scorching desert; God who sustained the Israelites for 40 years although they never farmed for their foods. This is the only true Almighty God who we should serve with all our hearts. Hallelujah!
They drank from the water that sprung from the stone, which Moses hit with a staff in the dessert. They were covered by the pillar of clouds that God sent in the light and they were covered by the pillar of fire in the dark. Even though they never had to farm for their foods during the 40 years, God provided foods of manna and quails. Even more, they never lacked the simple things such as clothes.
Joshua repents about the past and tells all of the Israelites, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.” He then declares, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Here we are gathered this morning and listening to Joshua’s commitment to God. We should be grateful for all the things that Lord has provided us with and have a heart of humbled gratitude for Lord our God.
Furthermore, let use examine verse 15, “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Amen
This is Joshua’s assured declaration to praise God. He declares all the idols as mere creations in the eyes of the Creator our God. All of us here may have served our own idols and we might have believed that they will bring us blessings. However, through Joshua’s declaration, we are, again, convicted of the fact that it is our Almighty God who created this world and has authority over all of his creations. As for us, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will all follow after Joshua’s commitment when he said, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
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