Exodus 30, John 9, Proverbs 6, Galatians 5

Date	Version	Reading Plan
@March 19, 2024	ESV (2016)	M’Cheyne Plan 2024

Exodus 30

Exodus 30:20 (ESV) 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.

The LORD told Moses that a basin of bronze was to be made and placed between the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron and his sons were to use the basin to wash their hands and feet before handling holy things. So important was this purification step that failing to do so would result in a sentence of death. While we no longer have these particular washing rituals, it is helpful to see the criticality of spiritual purity as we engage in kingdom-impacting endeavors. As Heb. 10:22 says, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

John 9

John 9:39–41 (ESV) 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Directly following the healing of a blind man, Jesus spoke of a different kind of blindness, one that is spiritual rather than physical. Jesus came into the world to bring sight to the blind but also so that those who see may become blind. It is the humble who admit their complete inability to see apart from Christ who are graciously granted sight. The haughty, by contrast, claiming to be able to see just fine without Him, are the ones who are confirmed to be blind.

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6:6–11 (ESV) 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

In an exposition against laziness, the author says to consider the ways of an ant. The ant is referenced here and in Prov. 30:25, both places as an example of wisdom and prudence. Ants are remarkably hardworking creatures, capable of being productive with little to no oversight or accountability. The challenge for the reader is that if such a tiny creature can exemplify this level of initiative, we should as well. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”. (Col. 3:23).

Galatians 5

Galatians 5:13–14 (ESV) 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The freedom we have been given in Christ is not a license to do as we please but a freedom from hinderance to serve one another. There is a freedom “from” and a freedom “to”. In Christ, we are free from the condemning power of sin and this enables us to be free to serve others with Christlike love.

Carson on John 9

Instead of insisting his opponents are blind, Jesus points out that they themselves claim to see — better than anyone else, for that matter. But that is the problem: those who are confident of their ability to see do not ask for sight. So (implicitly) they remain blind, with the culpable blindness of smug self-satisfaction. There are none so blind as those who do not know they are blind.

The unawareness of blindness brings me back to my life before following Jesus. I was so confident in my ability to see that it was offensive to hear anyone tell me I was blind. How dare they say such things! If anyone was blind, it must those who follow an archaic and outmoded way of living. How amazing it is that God saw fit to remove this prideful blindness and give me sight to behold the glory of our Lord Jesus.

Justin Houtz