Just a Piece of Wood

Bible Passage: Exodus 7:8-13 & 1 Corinthians 1:18-21

1. Background

(a) The Israelites were in slavery for about 400 years
(b) Pharaoh had large workforce at his disposal whom he kept oppressed at hand to build his empire in order to subvert any political threat and also build his empire
(c) Moses is called by God to go to release his people from under the hand of Pharaoh

2. An Inadequate Threat to the Might of a Superpower

(a) Both Moses and Aaron are now octogenarians (Exodus 7:6)
(b) Pharaoh was encountering the God and Prophet of Israel (Exodus 7:1)
(c) In approaching Pharaoh they have a claim that the God of Israel has spoken to them and a sign (Exodus 7:2, 9)
(d) What transpires at the first encounter is on a smaller scale of what would transpire at the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 7:12; 14:28)
(e) For Pharaoh and his officials the only visible weapon in the hand of Israel’s leader was the staff, inadequate before the weaponry of the Egyptians

3. An Inadequate Symbol to the Human Mind for Salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

(a) The larger salvific plan of God for humankind was going to be worked out yet again with an inadequate symbol, the Cross (1 Corinthians 1:17b)
(b) To Israel the promised Messiah’s image and weaponry were inadequate before a superpower like Rome
(c) To Rome Jesus was not a threat to be seriously taken
(d) Yet for God the Father, the shamed and cursed symbol of the Cross would speak of his mighty work to save humankind
(e) The Gospel message is attributed to only one cross, the Cross of Jesus Christ

Take Away

As a recipient of God’s salvation in and through Jesus Christ, lift his Cross high