Moments With God

Exodus 3-4

God delights in using frail weak human beings who are totally submitted to Him as His servants. The Lord wants to break us of self-reliance, and He wants us to understand our own inadequacies. At the same time we must trust the Lord God's unlimited strength and ability to work in and through us. In ourselves we can do nothing, but with the Lord's strength and grace we can do anything He asks us to do.

The Old Testament character, Moses, had been living in the desert land of Midian for forty years, but now God was calling Moses to a new and exciting assignment or call in the Lord God's kingdom. It had been necessary for Moses to live in the barren land of Midian all those years, so that he would learn humility and be emptied of dependence on self. Now in his new assignment as leader of God's Old Testament people Moses would have to rely on the Lord's strength alone.

One day Moses was taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. Suddenly "the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush" (Exodus 3:2) The terminology "angel of the Lord" is often used interchangeably with the Lord God. Therefore, this was probably a pre-incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Himself! Moses was in the holy presence of God Himself! May we too be ever aware of the holiness and purity of our God. As His children may we seek the Lord's purity in our lives and be dedicated to His service. May we answer the Lord's call and be obedient in all things. (I John 3:2-3)

The Lord then said to Moses, "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.----So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:7-10) As God was concerned about His Old Testament people, the Israelites, so He cares about our sufferings today also. Hence, He will always lead us out of all of our sufferings in His perfect timetable if not now than in eternity!

Moses probably was excited to hear about God’s plan to redeem His people from slavery until he heard God say to him, "I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Then Moses started making excuses for not following God's call. Moses said, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) This was a wrong question on the part of Moses. God always is with us and equips us in all He asks us to do. God’s reply to Moses in Exodus 3:12 was "I will be with you." The Lord God also assured Moses that He was the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14a) This name for God showed that the Lord God was not only the God of glory and power but also a faithful and dependable God who completely gives Himself to His people generation after generation. As yet another excuse for not accepting God’s call to lead His people out of slavery Moses basically said, "What if Your people do not believe You sent me, Lord, and then refuse to listen to me?" (Exodus 4:1) This was a foolish question and an excuse on the part of Moses, because the Lord had already promised that the elders of the Israelites would listen to Moses. (Exodus 3:18) Moses then tried to use his lack of eloquence in speech as an excuse for not obeying God’s will for his life. God did not accept that excuse either. In the end Moses submitted to God’s call to lead God’s people out of slavery. God will have His way in our lives also, and we will not be at peace until we submit to His will. May we not seek excuses for not submitting to His call to service, or may we not question Him when He brings trials in our lives. In submission to the Lord’s will we find great joy, and then we can be used in great ways in His kingdom!