Tag: Moses
Leaders and those who follow!
Scripture reading for January 24th: Exodus 16-18
For some reason, I’ve been in leadership positions all my life! I’ve always felt inadequate and usually haven’t sought a leadership position; others always seemed to volunteer me. As I’ve worked leading in various secular and church positions, I’ve become acutely aware of my inability to please everyone. Moses soon learned this same truth! There are as many opinions as there are people under you and Moses had over a million “followers”!
God’s people were delivered from Egypt by a mighty act of power by the Lord, and then from Pharaoh’s pursuing army! Led by Miriam, Moses’ sister, they danced in joy and sang a song of deliverance! A few days after the victory celebration, the Israelites faced hunger and began to grumble. They blamed Moses for his poor leadership and for bringing them out into the desert to die. (Exodus 16:3) A little farther into the walk, they ran out of water and began to grumble again, quarreling with Moses. Their hearts were angry and hard and they blamed their leader, actually blaming God! (Exodus 16:8)
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, came for a visit to bring back Moses’ wife and two sons. Jethro was thrilled to hear the stories of God’s deliverance through his son-in-law. He observed Moses sitting in judgment with all the people coming to him with their complaints. His advice to Moses was to raise up some helpers to share the load of leadership.
If you are a follower, pray and obey before you complain! When you grumble about your leader, you are grumbling about God! Listen to your leadership and support them by prayer and encouragement! Don’t test or blame God; He is never at fault! If you are a leader, raise up those who can help you with the work. It blesses you and them to use the gifts God has given them to serve. Leadership is a joy when you take these tips and your followers do, too! The main one to please in all of this is God. May His face be smiling on your leadership!
Procrastination!
Scripture Reading for January 21st: Exodus 7-9
When I was younger, we would hunt frogs each fall on a late October night. It was an annual ritual that our neighborhood used to enjoy. The men would go out after dark with flashlights, spears, and burlap sacks and head for the farm ponds. The frogs would be gathering in clusters, getting ready to head down into the mud for the winter. They were easy picking! After harvest, the neighbors would gather to eat fried frog legs and pot-blessing, play cards and swap stories about the harvest. It was great food and a good time!
Moses had decreed a plague of frogs on the land of Egypt because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go to worship God and they worshiped frogs. Frogs filled the land. They were in the fields, houses, marketplace, Pharaoh’s palace, and in the bedrooms! Pharaoh summoned Moses to ask him to pray to get rid of them. Moses, trying to be polite, allowed Pharaoh to set the time when the frogs would be gone. Pharaoh’s answer was, “tomorrow”. Why tomorrow? Did Pharaoh want one more night of frog hunting too? Did he enjoy sleeping with the frogs? Maybe one of his magicians had turned one of his kids into a frog? These are some silly questions to ponder but there are more serious ones.
It amazes me that when God offers us freedom to ask Him for anything (John 14:13), we often answer like Pharaoh. We must want one more night with our addiction or to be sick one more night. Maybe we want one more night to be angry and bitter. When we procrastinate, we are saying that we love our sin or problem more than we love God. In essence, we want one more night with the frogs! Ask the Lord to help you break the bondage of procrastination. Sit down with him today and get it taken care of!
“Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
Holy Separation!
Scripture reading for January 20th: Exodus 3-6
Moses was picked by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He knew of this early in his miraculous life. First, the Hebrew midwives spared his life; they feared God and hid him. Then God showed his parents a plan to save Moses’ life. He was placed in a basket and released in the Nile river. Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing just downstream. She “found” Moses, named him and paid his own mother and sister to raise him!
Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household and was taught in Egypt’s schools. At 40 years of age, he tried to protect his Israelite brothers by killing an Egyptian who was mistreating them and ended up on the back side of the desert, a wanted man. He went from a prince in Pharaoh’s household to a fugitive wanted for murder in a story as bizarre as Joseph’s in Genesis. For forty years it appeared that he was forgotten by God!
God’s delays and detours are for His purposes and our preparation. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush in the desert 40 years later, Moses was called to take off his shoes and deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Moses was said to be the most “meek” of men. (Numbers 12:3) God honors humility and brokenness. Moses, after 40 years of separation from the culture of Egypt in the desert, had learned a valuable lesson. He couldn’t do anything on his own! He needed God for everything!
Are you open to learn humility and brokenness? What area of your life needs the most help right now? Submit it to the Lord and wait patiently on Him. He will take you through a course of ‘holy separation’ where you remove your shoes and submit totally.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1st Peter 5:5-7
A Look, A Word, A Blessing–check out!
Scripture reading for March 1st: Deuteronomy 31-34
I have often told the Lord that I would like to leave this world like Moses, strong and vigorous to the last! I am a person who likes action and wants to be busy doing God’s will. When my time comes to leave earth, I want to take one last look, and be gone! I want to have a successor who will carry on the work. I want to fight one last battle, give one last prophetic word, bless my church and family, and check out! That’s how Moses, the man of God ended his time on earth!
In Deuteronomy 31, we have the transfer of power and anointing from Moses to Joshua. Joshua had been faithful as a helper to Moses. He was by his side continuously. He went up on the mountain with Moses. He was one of the twelve spies and had a “good report” as a man of faith. Joshua was picked by the Lord to succeed Moses. (Deuteronomy 31:14, 23)
In Deuteronomy 32, Moses composed a song that would be a witness for the people. God revealed to Moses that the people would rebel and suffer God’s punishment. This song commends the greatness of God, as the Rock of Israel. (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) It spells out again the curses that would come when they disobeyed the covenant. (Deuteronomy 32:20-26) The song promised compassion and healing for those who returned to the Lord and those who remain faithful. (Deuteronomy 32:36-43) Music has a way of getting into hearts and helping memory.
Deuteronomy 33 recorded the prophetic blessings on Israel and the tribes by Moses. These blessing tell of God’s love for His people. (Deuteronomy 33:3-5) The blessings in this chapter are filled with imagery from the recent wanderings. There is one that I regularly claim: “Most blessed of sons is Asher: let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.” (Deuteronomy 33:24-25) May that be true of you and me!
Moses ended his journey by climbing Mt. Nebo and getting a look at the promised land. After that, God buried him! (Deuteronomy 34:1-7) He was strong and vigorous and full of life to the last and he ever lives in God’s presence! In Scripture, he is last seen here on earth talking to Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration! (Matthew 17:1-3) I can’t wait to meet him someday!
Moses: BSDD (Back side of the desert degree)
Scripture reading for January 20: Exodus 3-6
One of my brothers is a law professor. He went to over nine years of college and post-graduate study for his degree. My other brother is a surgeon and he needed eleven more years of study for his degree. God’s ‘graduate school’ sometimes takes 40 years to get the degree!
Moses was picked by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. First, the Hebrew midwives spared his life; they feared God and hid him. Then God showed his parents a plan to save Moses’ life. He was placed in a basket and released in the Nile river. Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing just downstream. She “found” Moses, named him and paid his own mother and sister to raise him.
Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household but at 40 years of age, he tried to protect his Israelite brothers by killing an Egyptian who was mistreating them. By running away, he went from a prince in Pharaoh’s household to a fugitive wanted for murder in a story as bizarre as Joseph’s in Genesis. Sometimes we think we know God’s plan and we end up in the back side of the desert. “Where is God now?” we ask. We get involved in life again where we find ourselves, but wonder what went wrong.
God’s delays and detours are for His purposes and our preparation. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush in the desert 40 years later, Moses was called to take off his shoes and then go and deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Moses wisely took off his shoes but made excuses about going. God met Moses and answered each excuse and he agreed to go. You might say that Moses graduated with his BSDD! (Back side of the desert degree!)
Are you in the ‘School of the Desert’? Are you open to learn humility and brokenness? What area of your life needs the most help right now? Submit it to the Lord and wait patiently on Him. He will help you pass the course! He’s preparing you for your assignment too.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1st Peter 5:5-7
Sin Shows Up in the Best!
Scripture reading for February 16th: Numbers 17-20
Sin is a malady of the human race that permeates all men. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! (Romans 3:23) The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Our reading today records the deaths of brother Aaron and sister Miriam. Moses also is told that he, too, will not be allowed to enter the promised land, but must be gathered to his people.
The first to pass from the scene was Miriam, the older sister of Moses. (Numbers 20:1) Miriam was a prophetess who used her tambourine to prophesy and led the Israelite women in a victory celebration after the miracle of God’s deliverance at the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:20-21) Miriam got into trouble when she talked about Moses because of his Cushite wife. She was jealous of her younger brother and evidently wanted to have some of his authority. (Numbers 12:1-3, 9-12) She was struck with leprosy and was put out of the camp for a week, then healed as Moses prayed for her. Miriam was greatly used of God and gifted, but died without entering the promised land.
Aaron and Moses were faced with grumbling yet again because of a lack of water in the Desert of Zin. Moses and Aaron went before the Lord and again fell face-down. (Numbers 20:6-8) God spoke to them and told them to take the staff from the Lord’s presence and speak to the rock and it would gush water for them and their livestock. However, Moses and Aaron obeyed only partially. They did take the staff, but in anger Moses ridiculed his brothers and struck the rock twice with the staff. (Numbers 20: 9-10)
Moses and Aaron were rebuked by the Lord for dishonoring Him before the people. The penalty would be no entry into the promised land. Everyone wanted to be the leader and many tried to take Moses’ place over the years. Now at the end of the journey, Moses is disqualified because of anger and frustration that led to striking the rock twice instead of speaking to it!
In truth, God is merciful! He is teaching His people that the law, represented by Moses, cannot take anyone into the promised land! It is only grace through faith that can take us all the way! Joshua (Jesus) is the one who by faith would lead God’s people into the land to possess it.
Sunday Rest and Reflection:Moses
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Welcome to another day of rest and reflection! How wonderful it is to be delivered from slavery to sin and enjoy new life in Jesus Christ!
I want to think about Moses for a few minutes today. Moses was a man highly favored of God. His godly parents feared God and were allowed to raise this child after he was miraculously taken out of the water of the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter. The name “Moses” means “drawn out of the water”! God often uses water as a medium of spiritual cleansing or new birth. We are first born through water–from our mother’s womb–born in sin and under God’s wrath.
This Moses, eighty years later, would lead all of God’s people through walls of water to deliverance from Pharaoh’s army. God used the water then to protect His people from destruction and to destroy the enemies of His people. He used that deliverance to purify them of the slavery mentality and take them to new life in the land of promise.
In Joshua’s day, God took the Nation of Israel back through the waters of the Jordan River at flood-stage by a miraculous parting. This was another “baptism” of those who came through the desert experience of 40 years. This new generation had to go through the waters to prepare them to worship and make war in the promised land!
One greater than Moses or Joshua, who came through the “baptized” nation of Israel, would go into the waters of the Jordan and be baptized by John the Baptist. As he came out of those waters, he would receive the Spirit and confirmation of His Father’s approval. He would become the means by which all peoples of the earth could escape judgment and receive new birth. Jesus commanded all who would repent, to believe and be baptized in water! This baptism helps us connect with people of faith from all generations! God takes us through the waters to new life in Him! Take time today to reflect on Moses, Jesus and water! In His Love, Pastor John
Pastor’s Walk Podcast: Exodus Summary Part 3 (20-40)
In this podcast Pastor John concludes his summary of the book of Exodus. Pastor John’s primary focus is on chapters 20-40.