Exodus 39, John 18, Proverbs 15, Philippians 2

Date	Version	Reading Plan
@March 28, 2024	ESV (2016)	M’Cheyne Plan 2024

Exodus 39

Exodus 39:42–43 (ESV) 42 According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

The people of Israel brought to Moses the completed work of the tabernacle, the tent and all its components. Moses affirmed that the work had been done exactly to God’s specification and blessed the people. For a people who had previously demonstrated a fickleness in their obedience and lack of remembrance of the LORD’s provision, they were able to pull it together when centered around the purpose of constructing all elements of the tabernacle.

John 18

John 18:26–27 (ESV) 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Peter was standing outside at the door of the courtyard of the high priest warming himself while Jesus was being questioned. Peter had already denied Jesus twice when a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off asked if he had seen him in the garden with Jesus. It is interesting that the man posed it as a question of confirmation rather than a statement of accusation. If the man was close enough to witness Malcus’ ear being cut off, it seems as if he would be able to positively identify Peter. While we cannot know the motive behind the man’s address of Peter, it did prompt Peter’s third denial and the rooster crowing exactly as Jesus had said.

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:18 (ESV) 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Another collection of proverbs in this chapter, but this one seemed worthy of unpacking. Not only do those slow to anger prevent further building of contention, their patience can have a tempering effect. Just as the hot-tempered can exacerbate the heat of strife, the even-tempered can bring a calm to the situation.

Philippians 2

Philippians 2:3–4 (ESV) 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Paul admonishes the church in Philippi toward selflessness and to count others more significant than themselves. It is a deeply convicting passage as this message extends to us as well. Paul does not say to do few things but to do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. Counting others as more significant than yourself to the point of altruistic action is to swim against the stream of sin and selfishness.

Carson on John 18

Jesus says his kingdom is “not of this world”; it is “from another place.” In other words, all the kingdoms and centers of political strength that human beings construct trace their authority, is “from another place”—and readers of this gospel know that that means from heaven, from God himself.

Carson makes a good point that every earthly kingdom and power owes its reign to God. Whether it be small or great, their dominion is only in place because has been appointed by the One who has ultimate dominion. We see this expressed by Jesus Himself as He spoke to Pilate prior to His crucifixion in John 19:11a: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

Justin Houtz