Sep 21
19
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New Testament Reading: John 16:25–33
“‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.’ His disciples said, ‘Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world’” (John 16:25–33, ESV).
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Old Testament Reading: Exodus 5:1-6:1
“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.’ Then they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.’ But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!’ The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, ‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.’ So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, ‘Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’’ So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent, saying, ‘Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.’ And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, ‘Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?’ Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, ‘Why do you treat your servants like this? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.’ But he said, ‘You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.’ The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, ‘You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.’ They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, ‘The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.’ Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.’ But the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land” (Exodus 5:1-6:1, ESV).
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
You know, it really is this passage that makes us realize how important the previous one was.
Why did God react as he did to the uncircumcision of Moses’ firstborn son? Do you remember that little story? I barely touched on it last Sunday because my focus was set elsewhere. But it is an important part of the text. Moses had failed to circumcise his firstborn son who was born to him in Midian. Remember that circumcision was the sign attached to the Abrahamic covenant. It signified the covenant that God had made with Abraham. The promises of the covenant, and also the threats, were symbolized by circumcision. In brief, circumcision signified that the descendants of Abraham had been set apart by God as holy from the other people of the earth, and it also functioned as a reminder that the Hebrews were obliged to keep the terms of the covenant that God transacted with them lest they be cut off. And so it was a big deal (in a bad way) that Moses had failed to circumcise his son. Moses was a descendent of Abraham. He was a part of the covenant that God transacted with him, therefore. His son — Gershom was his name — should have been circumcised. The fact that he was not may indicate a lapse in faith in Moses while in Median. And so in 4:24, we find this perplexing little story: “At a lodging place on the way [towards Egypt] the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” (Exodus 4:24–25, ESV).
I’ve said that this story is perplexing, and I think it is perplexing for two reasons.
One, it is perplexing if we read too narrowly and forget what was said way back in Genesis 17 regarding circumcision and its connection with the covenant that God transacted with Abraham. I’ve already reminded you of that, so I don’t need to say much more. Here I am simply saying, it is no wonder this little story seems so strange to those who read it being unaware of the significance of circumcision. Circumcision was for the Hebrews a physical reminder of all that God has promised to Abraham. It was a reminder that Abraham’s descendants had been set apart as holy from the nations. If we forget all of that, then we will think it strange that God would react so strongly to Gershom’s uncircumcision. We will think, what’s the big deal, God? Well, for us circumcision is a matter of indifference — it’s a matter of preference. But not for the Hebrews living under the Old Covenant. To fail to circumcise the male children of Israel who descended from Abraham was to disregard and to break the covenant that God had made.
Two, this little passage is perplexing, in part, because of our English translations. Now, I will admit that my Hebrew is very weak. I’m not claiming to be an expert by any means. But some of the commentaries I read do point out that our modern English translations take some interpretational liberties here. Translation work is hard work, brothers and sisters. One word can often mean many things, and communicating the meaning of one language in another can be challenging. And so I don’t mean to sound critical either. Here is what I think the text means: “At a lodging place on the way [towards Egypt] the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.” The “him” here is not Moses, but Gershom, his son. “Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it…” In fact, Moses’ name does not appear in the Hebrew. The word is “his”. Again, I believe that “his” refers to Gershom. And then Zipporah said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” The word translated as “bridegroom” can also mean relative by blood.
Do you know what I think is going on here in this “strange” little passage? Strong emphasis is being placed on the covenant that God made with Abraham. Circumcision was a sign of that. God had promised to bless Abraham’s descendants, to redeem them from slavery, to give them their own land, to make them a kingdom, and to bless all of the nations of the earth through them. Circumcision was a physical reminder of all of that. It was a big deal. And Moses had failed to keep the covenant. His wife, on the other hand, though she was a Midianite by birth, understood, believed, and was faithful. By circumcising her son, and by saying, “Surely you are a relative of blood to me!”, she was saying, I believe in these promises and I’m in. We’re all in. Though it seems strange to us at first, it’s actually a marvelous little story.
This happened on the way to Egypt. So here is a fresh reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham. Here is a fresh reminder of all the promises that God had made. And here is a fresh reminder of all that God would require of these Hebrews. They would be obligated to keep the covenant that God had made with them. They would be called to trust and obey. And this would be deadly serious.
The other thing from the previous passage that I wish to remind you of is the little remark that God made regarding Pharaoh’s reaction to the miracles that Moses was to perform and to the request to let the people of Israel go. The Lord told Moses, “But I will harden [Pharoah’s] heart, so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:21, ESV).
Two things may be gleaned from this little statement.
One, the LORD is sovereign over all things, yes, even the hearts of men, and yes, even the hearts of great and powerful men — men like Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
Two, we learn that though God is ultimately in control of all things, it will not also seem like it to us.
To say it a little differently, if we view the Exodus event — the entire process of it — from God’s perspective we can see that he was in control, ultimately. We can understand what he was doing as he hardened Pharaoh, and allowed Pharoah to harden himself, leading him to stubbornly refuse to let the people go. God was bringing glory to himself as he put his marvelous mercy on display, as well as his just judgments. This we know as we consider the story from God’s perspective (as it is revealed to us in Holy Scripture) and with eyes of faith. But viewed from the perspective of Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews, on the ground and in real-time, it must have seemed to them like Pharaoh was winning.
So then, when God said to Moses, “I will harden [Pharoah’s] heart, so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:21, ESV), two things were revealed. One, that God is sovereign over all things, yes, even the hearts of men, and yes, even the hearts of great men like Pharaoh. He is the King of kings, and LORD of lords. No one can thwart God’s purposes. And two, it will not always appear that way to us. No, what Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews would see with their natural eyes was hardness of heart, stubbornness, and obstinance. Indeed, they would endure even more suffering and oppression.
Perhaps you are beginning to see why all of this should matter greatly to us. Our situation is very similar to that of Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews in this passage. We know that God is sovereign over all — we know this by faith. And we know that God has accomplished our redemption through Christ. He has defeated Satan, sin, and death — he has set us free from their bondage. But as we sojourn in this world towards the Promised Land, things often do not appear this way. When we observe the world and wickedness in it, and when we endure trials and tribulations of various kinds ourselves, we sometimes wonder, is God really in control? Has he really won the victory? And are we really his beloved New Covenant children? These are the kinds of questions that God’s people are bound to struggle with as they sojourn in this fallen world and towards the world to come. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that any will escape wrestling with questions like these: if God is truly sovereign, and if he loves us, then why this suffering? Where is he now? Friends, this is a big part of what it means to walk by faith and not by sight. My physical eyes tell me one thing, but my eyes of faith tell me another. The sojourner must choose to walk by faith (what we know to be true from God’s word) and not by sight (what appears to be true from our observation of this fallen world).
In chapter 5 of Exodus, we encounter the first of many tests for Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews. Would they believe what they saw with their physical eyes, or would they believe what they heard from God? That is the question. Would they believe that the LORD is “I AM”, that he is in control, and working for their good and his glory? Or would they believe and act according to their natural perception of things? Stated once more, would Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews trust in God and in his precious and very great promises, or would they cower in fear when the heat was turned up, and when everything around them seemed to indicate that God was either not for them, not faithful, or not strong enough to do what he said he would do.
The heat is certainly turned up in Exodus 5. To feel the heat we must do our best to put ourselves in the place of Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews. This is just a story to us, but for them, it was real life. The pressures were real. The fear was real. The sufferings were real. The testing of their faith was real.
Exodus 5:1-6:1 may be divided into five scenes. In 5:1-3 we see Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. In verse 2, and in verses 4-19 we see Pharaoh’s response to Moses, Aaron, and The Hebrews. In verses 20-21 the Hebrews respond to Moses and Aaron. In verses 22-23, Moses responds to God. And in verse 1 of chapter 6 God begins to respond to Moses.
I’ve already read the story to you. It’s rather straightforward. Please allow me to make a few remarks about each of these scenes.
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Moses And Aaron Before Pharaoh (5:1-3)
First of all, in verses 1-3 Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh, and they say what God had instructed them to say: Verse 1: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness’” (Exodus 5:1, ESV). Verse 3: “Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God…”
I have not yet addressed this question in our study of Exodus, though I’ve had the opportunity to do so: Why did God instruct Moses to request that Pharaoh allow the Israelites to go a three days journey into the wilderness when in fact God’s intention was to deliver the people once for all, never to return. Some have thought this to be dishonest.
Commentators seem to agree that the phrase, “three days journey” was used in those days and in that culture to refer to a substantial journey of indefinite length. This was a polite way of saying, let us go for good! This was a polite way of addressing the king to begin negotiations. The rest of the narrative makes it clear that everyone involved — God, Moses, the Hebrews, Pharaoh, and the Egyptians — knew exactly what this was. It was a request to leave and to never come back.
Notice also this: the purpose for the “three day journey” was to sacrifice to the Lord, that is, to worship. Obviously, Israel would do a lot more than make sacrifices to the LORD, but this sums it up nicely, doesn’t it. The purpose for the redemption of the Israelites was worship. They were to be freed from Egyptian bondage so that they might worship and serve the LORD.
Moses and Arron then added this little remark, let us go to worship, “lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” What is this about? Well, as I see it, this statement harkens back to the episode regarding Gershom’s uncircumcision and the threat of death that came upon him from the LORD. Moses, Aaron, and everyone involved learned something important about the worship of God on that day. God’s people whom he has called out of the world to walk before him in holiness had better not take the worship of God nor the ordinances of God lightly. If God has commanded that the males of his people be circumcised on the eighth day, then he must be obeyed. And if God has commanded that he be worshipped in a particular way, then he must be obeyed. Both Aaron and Moses learned something about the worship and service of YHWH in that event regarding the uncircumcision of Gershom. And these words, “lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword”, anticipate future events regarding the people’s failure to worship God according to his commands — Israel would be judged for it. Brothers and sisters, we must be careful too, for we have not only been called to worship the LORD, but to worship and serve him as he has prescribed in his most holy word.
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Pharoah Responds To Moses, Aaron, And The Hebrews (5:2, 4-19)
Secondly, in verses 2 and 4-19, Pharoah responds to Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews.
In verse 2 he says, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2, ESV). Here the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart is put on display for the first time.
The words, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?” reveal Pharaoh’s pride. He thought of himself as greater than YHWH. The words, “I do not know the LORD” can mean either that he has never heard of YHWH before, or that he has heard of him, but has no regard for him. Either way, Pharoah’s initial response was simply, no, “I will not let Israel go.”
But that is not all he said. Not only did he refuse to let Israel go, he punished the Hebrews by increasing their burden. In verse 4 we read, “But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” And in verses 5 through 5-19 we learn that Pharoah heaped even more work on top of the already overly burdened Hebrews. The Hebrews made bricks. And it used to be that another group would provide the straw from brick making. But when Moses and Aaron requested Israel’s release, Pharaoh demanded that the Hebrews gather their own straw for making the bricks, but their quota for bricks was not decreased. Life was already miserable for the Hebrews. This must have been truly overwhelming for them. Hebrews were beaten. Many probably died as the suffering went from bad to worse.
Brothers and sisters, Pharaoh was a cruel master. The Hebrews (and others) were brutally oppressed by him. And when they sought relief, he piled more on. And this should remind us that Satan, of whom Pharaoh was a type, is a cruel master as well. Life in his kingdom is characterized by bondage. From the beginning, he has presented himself as light and life, but in reality, his ways lead only to darkness and death. Those who follow after him (that is to say, all who do not follow after God through faith in Christ) will find in due time that he is a cruel taskmaster. He takes but he does not give. His ways lead only to sorrow. With time his burdens grow heavier and heavier, as he requires more and more of his subjects. His burdens are heavy, but Christ’s are light. This is why Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV). Every man has a master. It is either Satan or Jesus. But Jesus is a kind master, whereas Satan is most cruel. If you wish to have life, hope, and peace you must have Jesus as Lord.
The heavy hand of Pharaoh is certainly a picture of life in Satan’s cruel and oppressive kingdom. His burdens are exceedingly heavy, and with the passing of time, he requires more and more of his subjects. He takes but never does he give.
Pharaoh’s response was effective, humanly speaking. The Hebrew people languished and groaned under the heavy labor. The Hebrew foremen appealed to Pharaoh on behalf of the people, but they too were rebuked sharply and sent away. Verse 17: Pharaoh said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.’ The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, ‘You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day’” (Exodus 5:17–19, ESV).
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The Hebrews Respond To Moses And Aaron (5:20-21)
This leads us now to the Hebrews’ response to Moses and Aaron. It is found in verses 20-21 and it comes through the foremen. “They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, ‘The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us’” (Exodus 5:20–21, ESV).
I feel for Moses and Aaron, don’t you? The Hebrew people bore a heavy physical burden — they suffered greatly under these harsh edicts. But the burden that Moses and Aaron carried as leaders was spiritual and emotional. It must have felt like they were carrying the weight of the world as Pharaoh used his political skill to turned everything back on them. The words of the foremen, who were themselves in a very difficult position, must have cut very deep.
And the foremen did accurately represent the spirit of the people to Moses and Arron. They were truly broken. In 6:9 we will read, “Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery” (Exodus 6:9, ESV). So Moses and Aaron will find themselves all alone. They would have to stand before hardhearted Pharaoh with brokenhearted Israel behind them. But this was their calling, and God would make them stand, as we will see.
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Moses Responds To God (5:22-23)
In the fourth scene, Moses responds to God. This is found in verses 22-23 where we read, “Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all’” (Exodus 5:22–23, ESV).
This is a very honest statement from a very broken and overwhelmed man who is struggling with deep questions regarding God’s purposes in the midst of great suffering.
Notice the question is, why?
First, Moses asks, “Why have you done evil to this people?” I feel a little uncomfortable even reading these words, for we know that God does not do evil. As James says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13, ESV). God is holy, and Moses knew that. And he also knew that it was Pharaoh, and not God, who did the evil. He even says so in verse 23: “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all” (Exodus 5:23, ESV). So it is clear what Moses means when he says to God, “Why have you done evil to this people?” He is recognizing that God’s plan resulted in suffering, and he is asking why it had to be this way. It’s an honest question.
Next, Moses asks, “Why did you ever send me?” In other words, he is recognizing that the people were better of before he showed up. Now that he has arrived, their sorrows have been multiplied.
Clearly, Moses was struggling to keep the faith. He was wavering. And the reason he wavered was that he grew shortsighted. In this moment of great trial, he forgot about God’s promises, his faithfulness in the past, and he lost sight of the prize (I think it is significant that when Moses turned to the LORD he did not refer to him as YHWH but as Adonai…)
The trials and tribulations of life have a way of doing that to us, don’t they? The trials can sometimes be so severe that they are all we see. Moses was overwhelmed by the sight of the increased suffering of his kinsmen, and it was all he could think about. He forgot about the past — the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and his faithfulness to preserve them through the trials of life. And he lost sight of the prize — deliverance from Egyptian bondage, fellowship with God, and the promised land. So nearsighted was Moses that he could only ask why? Why have you done this? Why have you sent me? We’ve all been there to one degree or another. We’ve been swallowed up by the trials and tribulations of life and the clouds of despair which so often accompany them. We need perspective.
Here is the one thing that Moses has going for him, and it’s a big deal. Moses did turn to the LORD. He brought his burdens, his despair, and confusion to the LORD. This is what those who have true faith will do. When they suffer, and when they doubt, they run to LORD, and not from him.
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Gods Respond To Moses (6:1)
The last scene that I wish to mention this morning is actually found in 6:1-8. Here the LORD responds to Moses. It’s a marvelous response, and so we will leave the bulk of it for next Sunday. But it is the LORD’s response which brings this entire passage to a proper conclusion, and so I must mention it, even if it is only in passing. Let us read verse 1 only: “But the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land’” (Exodus 6:1, ESV).
In brief, in this passage, the LORD helps Moses by reiterating his promises to him, by reminding him of who he is, and by fixing his eyes on the prize once more. Here we see the mercy of God on display. He was patient with Moses, tender, and kind. Moses turned to him in his grief and despair, and the LORD was faithful to lift him up.
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Suggestions For Application And Conclusion
As we move now to a conclusion please allow me to make just a few suggestions for application.
One, I want you to see that Christ has done for us what the LORD did for Moses and the Hebrews — he has warned us concerning the difficulty we will face in this world, saying, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:25–33, ESV). So God warned Moses that Pharaoh’s heart would be hard, and Christ has warned us that life will be filled with hardship. Yes, even his people would experience tribulation, but they are to take heart knowing that Christ has overcome the world.
This is very helpful, I think, for it enables us to develop proper expectations. If our expectations are amiss — if we assume that life in Christ will be easy sailing, blissful and serene, then it will be very difficult for us to process the difficult realities of life in this fallen world when they come our way.
Two, being forewarned regarding the trials and tribulations of life does not remove the struggle. It’s one thing to say in your mind and with your mouth, I know that the Christian life will involve trials and tribulations. It’s another thing altogether to walk through them by faith when they come. To do this we must turn to the LORD in our suffering, we must bring our questions and our heartaches to him, and we must receive his word anew and afresh so that we might maintain perspective. In his word, we are reminded of his promises, his past faithfulness, and future reward which is surely ours in Christ Jesus.
Three, I wish to draw a little application out of that story regarding the uncircumcision of Gershom if I may. Moses started his journey towards Egypt to serve as the redeemer of God’s people, but he had neglected the sign of the Old Covenant. He had failed to apply it to his own son. God was determined to send him to the Hebrews with a proper appreciation for the sign of the covenant he served, for the sign reassured them that they were God’s people. It was a physical reminder of God’s promises. It was also a physical reminder of their obligations before God. It functioned as a visible word.
Circumcision is nothing to us, for we are not under the Old Covenant but the New. And the signs that God has given to us under this new and better covenant are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are not for our children by virtue of their birth. No, they are for those who believe in Christ. “For the promise is for [us] and for [our] children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39, ESV).
And these signs must not be neglected, for they reminded us of God’s promises, of who we are in Christ, of what he has done for us, that he is with us now, and of our future hope. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper preach to us through their symbolism, and they nourish us in the soul as we partake of them by faith.
What do Christian sojourners need, especially those who are heavily burdened by the trials and tribulations of life? They need the gospel. They need to be reminded that through faith in the Messiah their sins have been washed away, they are united to Christ — he is theirs, and they are his — and he has not left us as orphans, but has sent the helper, the promised Holy Spirit. Through faith in Christ, we have been reconciled to the Father, and we have this sure hope and expectation: eternal life in the new heavens and earth, where sin, suffering, and death are no more, and all is filled with glory and splendor of God. This gospel is proclaimed in word, but it is also signified in sacrament. Let us not neglect the sacrament, brothers and sisters, but let us come to the table each Lord’s Day being reminded of the work that Christ has done for us, our privileged place in him, his presence with us now to sustain us and to sanctify us, and of our future hope.
