From the Cutting Room Floor

While we’re preaching our way through Exodus, you’ll notice that I’m taking pretty big sections of Scripture each week. For the sake of time, I’m going to have to skip through some of the details of the text. But I do want to occasionally share some things that didn’t make the sermon.

Last week, we read Exodus 1. In every Bible translation I checked, the first word of Exodus is missing–“and.” (The King James and some translations put “now” there.) This is important because it tells us something about the relationship between Genesis and Exodus, namely, that they go together. When you are reading Exodus, the underlying assumption is that you have already read Genesis. So there’s a sense in which we’re starting in the middle of the story. “And” is also the first word of Leviticus and Numbers, but not Deuteronomy. If you want a Bible study question to think about, you might look into why that’s the case.

And of course, if you haven’t read Genesis, it might be a good idea to do that at some point during this series. Also, providentially, we’re studying Genesis in adult Sunday school as well. So if you want some guidance on Genesis, be sure to join us at 9:30 on Sunday mornings.

Hymns You’ve Never Heard

“Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People” is a hymn based on Isaiah 40, the main prophetic account of John the Baptist’s ministry. What I really love about this song is the tune: Geneva 42. This tune was written for Psalm 42 during John Calvin’s time there. What people often don’t realize is that traditional Protestant church music is usually based on folk music, not classical music. Our tendency is to think of traditional music as kind of dull, but as you’ll hear in the recording below, it was actually quite lively when it was written.

1 Comfort, comfort ye my people, speak ye peace, thus saith our God; comfort those who sit in darkness mourning ’neath their sorrow’s load. Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them! Tell her that her sins I cover, and her warfare now is over.

2 Yea, her sins our God will pardon, blotting out each dark misdeed; all that well deserved His anger He will no more see nor heed. She hath suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away; God will change her pining sadness into ever-springing gladness.

3 For Elijah’s voice is crying in the desert far and near, bidding all men to repentance, since the kingdom now is here. O that warning cry obey, now prepare for God a way; let the valleys rise to meet Him, and the hills bow down to greet Him.

4 Make ye straight what long was crooked, make the rougher places plain, let your hearts be true and humble, as befits His holy reign; for the glory of the LORD now o’er earth is shed abroad, and all flesh shall see the token that His Word is never broken.

Here it is as sung by First-Plymouth Church in Nebraska.

Updates

We’ll be having a special service on Christmas Eve at 6PM. I got to see some of the kids’ program Wednesday, and I’m excited for everyone else to see it as well!
On December 31st, Bob Bradley from Diamondhead will be in town to serve the Lord’s Supper. Be preparing spiritually for that Lord’s Day as it approaches.
Information concerning Jackie Merritt’s funeral service is listed in the bulletin. Thank you for your continued prayers for her family.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid