Week 10/ Day 1:
Hebrews 11:28
“By faith he kept the Passover and the application of the blood and so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 28 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect; be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
Passover
destroyer
firstborn of Israel
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Passover: The Passover coincided with the final plague that occurred before the Israelites were allowed to leave Egypt. The plague was the death of each of the first born in Egypt, animals and children. The Passover was God’s grace acting in defense of the firstborn children of Israel whose lives were spared.
Destroyer: Someone or something who obliterates the existence of life or work. I think of hurricanes that destroy homes and lives throughout entire communities. Disease can be a destroyer of health and eventually life. Toddlers can be destroyers of all order and sanity (in all the best ways)!
Firstborn of Israel: This is in reference to the oldest child in the household of the Israelites. The sacrifice of the unblemished lamb provided blood which was painted on the doorpost of the Hebrews homes. This blood served as a sign and a defense from the death that occurred throughout Egypt on that horrific night.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 10/Day 2:
Hebrews 11:28
“By faith he kept the Passover and the application of the blood and so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
The Passover is brutal and violent. It is difficult to reconcile that kind of tragedy, the taking of hundreds of lives, with the goodness of our God. It is important to remember that the Lord had given Pharaoh multiple chances to accept His demand to let the Israelites leave Egypt and he had refused to submit to the will of God. The final straw is found in Exodus 10:28 when Pharaoh threatens the life of Moses, “Pharaoh said to Moses, ‘Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.” God is a just God and that means that sin cannot go unpunished. The pain that the Egyptians experienced could have been avoided if they would have been obedient to the commands of the Lord instead of hardening their hearts and turning a deaf ear to His cries.
Reality Check #1: God is a patient God. He is slow to anger. God is also a just God and cannot leave sin unpunished. It is because of this dichotomy in the character of God that He provided the Israelites with a passover lamb to save them from the inevitable death that was coming to Egypt that night. He sent a way of salvation for His people. He has sent a way of salvation for us as well, Jesus. “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’” (John 1:29). Jesus is the perfect passover lamb and when we accept Him, He saves us from the death that sin demands.
The destroyer that took the lives of the firstborn of all of Egypt was most likely a band of destroying angels. Throughout the Old Testament, God often used His mighty angels to bring destructive plagues. “He unleashed against them His hot anger, His wrath, indignation and hostility-a band of destroying angels” (Psalm 78:49). Examples can be found in 2 Samuel 24, 2 Kings 19 and Numbers 16. Again, we don not often think of angels as mighty warriors but they have to be. There is sin and evil in the world that is too great for us to battle. The Lord used His angels to fight for His people and liberate them from the bondage of the Egyptians.
Reality Check #2: There are destroyers in our lives as well. We do not face the bondage of slavery to a foreign nation, yet we are desperate for liberation from the sin that keeps us in chains. Anyone who has tried to conquer an addiction in their own strength can tell you that the addiction wins. Anyone who has tried to use a mind over matter approach to generational sin can tell you that the generational sin is stronger than their will. Anyone who has tried to reason their way out of patterns of destructive behaviors can tell you that the patterns are deeply ingrained in their mind and do not relent. There is spiritual warfare and we cannot fight it in our own strength. God does not expect us to do so; He fights for us. God has given us the Holy Spirit and additionally He still calls on His angels to fight the evil that we cannot see in the spiritual realms. “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:14). In the end, we are promised victory when we are trusting God to fight our battles. He is the destroyer of the destroyers in our lives!
The firstborn of Israel spoke of the oldest child in every family. This was significant because the firstborn of a family represented the entire community. Therefore, the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt represented judgement on the entire community while the protection of the firstborn of every Hebrew household represented God’s favor on the entire community.
Reality Check #3: God protected His people in Egypt and He still protects His people today. The Israelites are God’s chosen people and as such they have His hand of blessing on their lives. With the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, we gained the opportunity to be adopted into that Holy Family. When we accept this gift, we become God’s people, His children. He will protect us. We read of this beautiful adoption story in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Remember that the firstborn represents the entire community. Therefore, we are under the blessing of God’s firstborn son, Jesus Christ.
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 10/ Day 3:
Hebrews 11:29
“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground but when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 29 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today considering the following concept, not by looking anything up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect, be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
Red Sea Road
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Red Sea Road: One of my favorite songs is “Red Sea Road,” by Ellie Holcomb. This is one that my kiddos and I listened to on repeat for most of last fall. So, when I think of the Red Sea, I begin to sing this song. “We will sing to our souls, we won’t bury our hope. Where He leads us to go there’s a Red Sea road. When we can’t find our way, He will part the waves and we’ll never walk alone down the Red Sea road.” Also images of the spectacular movie ”The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston. With his staff he parted the waters in a scene that used visual effects far ahead of its time. A Red Sea road makes me feel hopeful, powerful and ready to conquer the world. A God who is big enough to part the sea just to let His people pass through on dry ground provides a sense of well being and security that cannot be matched. The next part of the verse, about the Egyptians drowning, is a little harder to celebrate. This goes back to our reflection of the Passover and the reality that if He is a good God, He must also be a just God. Once again, the Egyptians turned from their promises to the Israelites and from the commands of God. Once again, the consequences were deadly. Because of this reality, my thoughts around the Red Sea are bittersweet. I am thankful and amazed at the power of God to protect those who call on Him. I am also burdened and saddened by the reality of the fate of those who refuse to submit to His authority.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture
Week 10/Day 4:
Hebrews 11:29
“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground but when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
Red Sea Road: To fully appreciate the experience Moses had with the Red Sea Road, we must back up to the beginning. The Israelites had just been liberated from the Egyptians who were grieving and mourning the loss of the firstborn of every family. They left Egypt with great riches and victory over their enemies. Then something unexpected happened, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea” (Exodus 13:17-19). God knew the hearts of His people and He knew that although there was a quicker way out of Egypt, they were not strong enough for the challenges along the way. He chose to lead them in the way that was best for them, not in the way that made the most sense to them.
Reality Check #1: There have been times in my life when I felt the Lord leading me to do something, and so I stepped out on faith and then He seemed to take me in a totally different direction. These times leave me doubting my discernment and even the plans that the Lord has for me. The truth is that just because the path looks different than I expected, it does not mean that the final destination will not be the same. “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; thoughts may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24). God does not lead us in the way that makes the most sense to us, He leads us in the way that is ultimately the best for us. I am learning that sometimes the Lord has to take me on a desert road before I am ready to trust Him on the Red Sea Road.
The Lord then commands Moses to have the people set up camp by the sea because He plans to “harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them” (Exodus 14:4). What? Why? The Lord has just sent 10 plagues to the Egyptians, there has been mass casualties, all to allow the Israelites to escape and now He plans to allow Pharaoh to pursue them again!! God does not always explain the “why” to us, but thankfully in this case He does: “But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” We still don’t have a black and white answer for why the Lord is working in this way, but we do know the ultimate goal, glory to God and that all nations will know that He is the Lord.
Reality Check #2: Our lives matter to God. The daily routines, celebrations and heartaches all matter to our intimate Savior. However, I find it strangely liberating to step back and realize that we are just part of His story. God has a plan that began before time and will continue for eternity; we are simply a part of His ultimate sovereignty. In light of this story, and the many times in our lives when the Lord allows difficult situations that we do not understand, we can rest in the security that He is still in control and every moment is a part of His plan. Undoubtedly sin has brought grief into the world that God did not intend for us to experience before the fall of man. He is not, however, surprised by these circumstances and He will claim victory eventually. “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Now we have finally come to the moment of the parting of the Red Sea! “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground” (Exodus 14:16). The part of this verse that stands out to me is that it was not passive. Yes, it was the omnipotence of the Lord that parted the sea, but Moses had to raise his staff and stretch out his hand and then the Israelites had to actually put one foot in front of the other to cross the Sea! I am thinking I would have been a little nervous to pass through the giant walls of water with the Egyptian army hot on my tail! They had to have enormous faith to follow the path that the Lord provided.
Reality Check #3: As we read these famous Bible stories, we must always remember that while we know how they end, the ancients did not!
When the Lord provides a Red Sea Road opportunity in our lives, we have to have the necessary faith to do our part. It breaks down like this in my mind:
1. Moses raised his staff – What gifts and abilities has the Lord given to you? What is He calling you to do? We have to trust Him enough to lift ourselves up to Him for His glory and purposes. When Moses raised His staff, he was putting himself out there. The Israelites were all looking to him and as he lifted his staff he was accepting the responsibility to lead. The Lord asks the same of us today. We must accept the responsibility to use the gifts that He has given us.
2. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea – Moses knew that he did not have the power to move the thousands of Israelites following him across this enormous body of water. He also knew that he could not do anything to move the sea that was in front of him. So, why did he stretch out his hand across the sea? Because he knew that the Spirit of the Lord would work through him. When the Lord is asking us to do what seems impossible, that is when we must remember that His Spirit can work through us and nothing is impossible for Him. If we find ourselves thinking that we cannot do something, that is a red flag that we are operating in our own strength. It is time to stretch out our hand and trust the Lord to work through us.
3. The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground – They had to walk! There are times when one foot in front of the other is a huge challenge. I imagine that the Israelites felt that way. And yet, they crossed an entire sea, one step at a time. Whatever challenge you are facing, you do not have to conquer it all in one jump. Just put one foot in front of the other and before you know it, you will be on the other side of your Red Sea Road!
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”(Matthew 19:26).
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 10/ Day 5:
Hebrews 11:30
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the army had marched around them for seven days.”
Journaling Assignment #1 Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 27 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect; be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
walls
fell down
after
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Walls: There has been so much talk of walls in our country over the last couple of years. The walls most often discussed are meant to keep people from entering our country. They are intended to control and protect. Walls also provide shelter in the form of our homes. They define spaces and on certain days, my boys even climb them! There is another use of the term “walls” and that often refers to the walls that we construct around our hearts. Much like the border walls, the walls in our spirit are also intended to control and protect. Often times these walls are erected because of a hurtful experience or a perceived threat.
Fell Down: The front of my neighborhood has a wall. This wall is simply decorative but it still requires maintenance. Recently we discovered that the wall was beginning to crack and so we are currently researching the best way to repair it so that it doesn’t fall down. We have all seen pictures on the news of the devastation that occurs when a tornado blows through a town tearing down homes and businesses. As a young mom, I fell down the stairs holding my baby. He was ok, but I had a nasty break in my arm that required surgery. Generally, falling down is something to be avoided and is associated with pain and destruction.
After: I probably spend too much time thinking about “after” while others seem to give it no thought at all. What happens after the celebration? What happens after my children are grown up? What happens to the widow after the funeral, when the world returns to its normal pattern and her life is completely upside down? What happens after the divorce is final? What happens after he achieves his dream and makes the major league? What happens after?
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 10/Day 6:
Hebrews 11:30
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the army had marched around them for seven days.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
Based on archaeological findings, the walls surrounding Jericho were thought to be at least 13 feet high and backed by a watchtower some 28 feet tall! This was the Promised Land that God had promised His people. They had been wandering in the desert for 40 years and now they were here, at the threshold of “the land flowing with milk and honey.” But the walls how would they deal with the walls? They were impossible to penetrate, to climb, to circumvent. God had a plan. “Then the Lord said to Joshua…march along the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days…on the seventh day, march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in” (Joshua 6:2-5). What?! Can you imagine telling thousands of weary, fearful warriors that this was the great plan to conquer the city of Jericho? Joshua was a man of such incredible faith that he did just that. He obeyed God’s instructions to the letter and “When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight up, and they took the city” (Joshua 6:20).
Reality Check #1: There are walls in each of our lives that we cannot penetrate, climb or circumvent. These might be walls that are keeping us out of the pursuit of a dream and calling on our life. These might be walls that are keeping us imprisoned to an addiction or an abusive relationship. These could be walls that no one even knows about guarding our hearts and yet locking out the love that is available to us. No matter what the walls in your life, God has a plan to bring them down. We can pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the walls that need to fall. We can ask the Lord to bring them down and then, just as Joshua modeled, we can follow His plan to victory. “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; He brought me into a spacious place” (Psalm 118:5).
When the walls of Jericho fell down, they left rubble and debris in massive proportion. There was also a 12-15 foot retaining wall that they would have to surmount. This is one of those really cool, faith building facts that we find tucked into the Bible. Did you notice that in Joshua 6:20, it mentioned that the men “charged straight up?” The walls collapsed into itself, in such a way that it formed a ramp up and over the rubble and the retaining wall. The walls that had been keeping the Israelites out were actually their passage into the city of Jericho! God did not just bring down the walls, he used them for His glory and the good of His people.
Reality Check #2: Falling down usually hurts. As I mentioned, it can lead to injury and upset the rhythm of our lives. Falling down in a moral, spiritual or emotional way hurts as well, maybe even more. Whether we fall into sin based on our own choices or we are “tripped” and fall down because of the choices of others and he condition of our fallen world, we are left in discomfort and dealing with a life turned upside down. We are not alone in that moment, “The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). When we find ourselves surrounded by the destruction of falling down, we can trust God to use the rubble as our pathway into His presence. In our humility, He can heal our aching hearts and take the broken pieces to create a beautiful new work in our lives.
After the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho they, “burned the whole city and everything in it” (Joshua 6:24). Not only that, but also, “At that time, Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: ‘Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to build this city of Jericho” (Joshua 6:26). There was no going back; Joshua was following the Lord as He lead His chosen people into a new life and a new beginning.
Reality Check #3: What happens in the “afters” of your life? When the crisis passes, when the celebration is over, when the decision has been made? What happens next? When the Lord liberates us from the walls in our lives, we need to burn them and never look back! Satan will lie to us and tell us that the walls are still holding us back. They are not. The walls are down. Satan will lie to us and tell us that the walls are still keeping us out. They are not. The walls are down. Satan will lie to us and tells that our hearts are still in bondage. They are not. The walls are down. Jesus tells us the truth, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The walls are down, you are free! Go today, and live in that freedom!
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 10/Day 7:
Reflection Day
1. Reflect on your notes from this week.
2. Practice the verses that you have memorized so far.
-Write them.
-Recite them to a friend or family member to check for accuracy.
-Use them as a prayer to the Lord.
3. Read Hebrews 11 in its entirety a couple of times.
4. Pray for endurance throughout this journey.
5. Remember…
“He who has called you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God’s will, His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
Scripture Memory Strategies
1. Copy the Scripture several times. Then try to write it by memory.
2. Set an alarm on your phone for 4 times each day. Each time you hear the alarm, practice your scripture.
3. Showers! The shower is a perfect time to recite your scripture.
4. Traffic. As you sit, instead of getting frustrated, use the time to practice.
5. Accountability. Find a friend working on scripture memory as well. Recite your scripture to each other one day a week.
6. What else? List some ideas that might work for you!
