Moses: Ordinary People, Extraordinary God

     Please read Exodus 4:1-13. Send someone else.  Have you ever considered those words?  While Moses’ character is exposed through many chapters, here we learn something very important.  Church, insulting ourselves is an insult to our Creator.  We need to trust God’s plan and turn to Him for guidance.

     Moses was born in Egypt, during the enslavement of the Jews to Israelite parents.  To avoid certain death, he was placed in the brush of the Nile River in a basket, with the hopeful chance of survival.  The pharaoh’s daughter pulled the basket as he floated passed.  Unbeknownst to her, she hired his mother to nurse him.  His mother helped rear him for some time apprizing Moses of his heritage.  He was troubled by the suffering imposed on the Israelites by the Egyptians.  One day, he attempted to stop an Egyptian from beating a Hebrew slave and killed the Egyptian.  He fled to avoid punishment.  While on the lam for nearly forty years, he married, reconnected with his brother, and assumed the job of a shepherd. 

     While in the wilderness, he came across a burning bush.  There God commanded him to return to Egypt with a message of liberation for the Hebrew slaves.  He offered God a litany of excuses, pleading to send someone else.  Eventually, Moses complied following God’s command.  The pharaoh resisted Moses’ requests for emancipation, so Moses, through God’s strength called ten plagues to destroy the Egyptians. Eventually the pharaoh became convinced of the futility of fighting God, and he freed the Israelites.  As the Israelites journeyed through the miraculously parted Red Sea, the pharaoh reneged and sent his army in hot pursuit.   The Hebrews were unscathed; the Egyptians drowned.  

    The gratitude of freedom was short lived.  Even after hearing about and witnessing miracles, they lost their faith quickly, grumbling about food and water and blaming Moses for their discontent.  Moses went to God and God faithfully provided them with manna.  God commanded Moses to strike a rock for water, he did and water spouted out.  The second time water was needed, Moses took matters into his own hands, striking the rock instead of talking to it as he was commanded.  It was this disobedient act which prevented him from entering the Promised Land.  They wandered for forty years.   During that time God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. 

     As we touch the surface of Moses’ life, we mustn’t ignore the golden calf.  Impatient with Moses journey to the mountaintop, the Israelites melted the jewelry received as retribution from the Egyptians to make a golden calf to worship. Scripture tells us that God grew angry (Exodus 32:7-10) but Moses interceded for them.   He stepped in the gap and God relented.  They chose to move God from first place, however Moses’ sincere intercession was enough.  We have a merciful God of grace.  Who might you be inclined to step in the gap for today?   Also, let’s all be aware of the golden calves that can sneak into our lives as we wait for God’s timing.  Church, we must keep God in first place.    

    Moses was flawed, Moses struggled- just like us.  Often, we struggle to see how God supplies our needs because we are looking for the answer we have in mind, but God works differently.  You see it was all part of God’s plan, during the diversions God pulled the details together.  Church, sometimes we feel derailed and wonder where God is.  The good news is, God is right beside as, molding us, helping us in our weaknesses, and supplying our needs.   

    Moses’ life reinforces the importance of having a personal relationship with God.  As we trust God, we too will acquire the courage to make the difficult decisions.  Another thing we learn from Moses is partial obedience is not obedience.  We cannot resort to trusting in our own ability, without going to God.  Moses lost his temper, taking matters into his own hands and when he did, he struggled.  Church, our actions expose our trust in God.  We need to be confident in God’s power and call on our lives. 

    Moses was an ordinary person called to lead by our extraordinary God.  God equipped him to navigate the tasks he was called to fulfill.  Moses fell short, but the mercy and grace of God carried him and will carry us too.  Trust in God, turn to God, and love God with your whole heart. 

     Friends, we are no longer under the Old Covenant of rituals – striving to gain God’s favor following 613 laws.  We are under the New Covenant, the covenant of grace. Christians are recipients of God’s undeserved favor.  Let us be mindful and forever grateful for the New Covenant established in Christ, who offered the ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling and surpassing the requirements of the Old Covenant, making the Old Covenant obsolete.  And all God’s people say, amen.   

Blessings,

Pastor Kerry  

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