MOSES – 7
During the first 40 years of his life, Moses tried to become a “somebody.” He wanted to become the deliverer of his people in his own strength. He wanted to make a name for himself. And what happened? He made a mess of his life.
But God never gives up on losers. He followed Moses from fame to shame. During the next 40 years, Moses tried to become a nobody. In the University of Loneliness he earned doctorates in Patience, Humility and Dependence upon God.
Every time I visit the majestic pyramids, I marvel at what God wrought in the life of Moses during his last 40 years.
As a humble instrument in the hand of God he led two million slaves out of Egypt.
And bear this in mind. In those days Egypt was the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. God was showing the world what He could do with a man who had put all his trust in Him.
By the way. The God who lived in Moses’ time, is still the same today.
LET MY PEOPLE GO
God only allows suffering to go on for a limited time and then He steps in.
The time came to deliver Israel, and Moses was going to be the instrument.
When you visit the monastery of St. Catharine’s at the foot of Mount Sinai, you see this bush. According to tradition God appeared to Moses in a burning bush like this one.
Listen to what God said to Moses:
Exodus 3:7,8 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Verses 9,10 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Looking at the majesty of the Egyptian temples, I thought of the way the self assured Moses behaved 40 years earlier. But now he was different. Moses saw the character of God and it changed his life.
Here at the lofty heights of Sinai the Lord revealed Himself to Moses and this is how he described the God of love:
Exodus 34:6,7 “…The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
I like the way the humble Moses of Sinai responded when God called Him to go and deliver His people:
Verses 11,12 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
The best thing you and I can do is to shift our confidence from ourselves and to place it in what God can do. Distrust yourself like Moses, put your trust in Him and enjoy a relaxed relationship with Him.
You cannot afford to miss out on the next episode from the life of Moses. From now on the action of redemption will begin. You are going to see and listen to the greatest act of deliverance recorded in sacred history. Two million people were miraculously rescued from the hand of the greatest pharaoh in history.