Moses had kept the flock of Jethro where he was called in that land (Arabia), which is described in Acts 7:30 – “At the fulfillment of forty (40) years, the Angel of the LORD (Jehovah Himself) appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a burning bush. The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”
Consider this supernatural happening! Have you ever seen something attacked by fire or lit up and nothing happens to it? No. Never. Here, Elohim is being very explicit with Moses. The earthly wisdom of Egypt had to be unlearned and the Lord had to make Himself known.
One might say, “Well, God never showed me anything as unusual as that.” God is, then and now, always making Himself known as extraordinary. He does not do the ordinary (unless that is His choice.)
God called his name twice: (Moses, Moses). This was to get his attention unmistakably that the “I AM THAT I AM” (I will be what I will be or become), that is His continuance in time present, which was continuance in time past, which is to come continuance for ever – the Eternal.
He Who will be is left to be filled up according to the needs of those with whom He is in covenant – He Who becomes Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Strengthener, Comforter and more. He changes not. He is Israel’s God today as then and He is our everything today as then.
We have been joined into the Holy family and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. This is the news today and dare we try and escape from this comforter? Hope not.
Moses talks with God. The Lord reveals to him His identity: “the God of Abraham, Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Moses was frightened and hid his face. The Lord says, “I have come to bring relief to my covenant people and you’re a part of making that relief happen. I am come to check everything out and bring them up from the bondage. I have seen their oppression.”
Then God gives Moses His purpose and his commission. God says, “I will send you to Pharaoh. And you play a very important role in this mission of freedom. You’re the chosen one, Moses, to bring these people and free them from this Pharaoh.”
I have already set before you Moses’ objections. Let’s fast forward. God gave Moses a rod turned into a serpent and leprosy and returned again. He gave Moses undeniable evidence that Jehovah had sent him. When Pharaoh saw the authority of Moses, he place harsher labor on the Hebrews.
Moses also had to circumcise his son as another requirement, which he had failed to carry out. Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, “Let my people go, thus saith the Lord.” As we might guess, Pharaoh arrogantly asked, “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD and I won’t let Israel go.”
Well, isn’t this just like the boastfulness of the most arrogant?…to deny God and think they are God? This is not unusual. There are people like that today. You can see the bitter end coming for them, but they won’t let go and let God be God. Because they do not believe there is the Creator, they chance it and go on to you know where.
The taskmasters beat and mistreat the people. Pharaoh wouldn’t give them straw and they had to produce just as much productivity as when they had sufficient materials (Exodus 5:14) Exodus 5:18 says, “Go now and work without straw to make bricks and the quota expected must not be lessened.”
And to boost Moses’ confidence, I suspect that he remembered what the Lord had said earlier, “I will be with you.” That’s our message to everyone. Remind yourself that God will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He am the Lord. He changes not.
Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them and Moses was 80 years old (fourscore) when they spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 6:7). Exodus 7:14 through 10:29 describe the nine plagues that God sends in response to Pharaoh’s unbelief.
The first plague was blood. The second plague was frogs. The third plague was lice – mosquitos, gnats. The fourth plague – flies, fifth plague – murrain – on the animals – all the cattle died, but not the Israelites’ cattle; sixth plague – boils, seventh plague – hail, eighth plague – locusts and ninth plague – darkness. The number nine is connected with judgment. The third plague of each three occurs without warning.
And so what is the point of all this? When we resist God, He is not short on His capability to exert wrath. And when people continue to resist His salvation, He will exercise His power.
Every plague offers behind it a god that was served and Jehovah showed them the powerlessness of serving false gods. Nothing has changed, everyone. He may give you a pass over time, but it will catch up.
However, that is not the message here. The message here is that God brings greatness from humility and faithfulness. Moses was faithful. True, he acted rashly when he killed the Egyptian, but also God had to take him and put him on training wheels on the backside of the desert.
He needed to isolate his mind like he did John, writer of Jesus Christ Revelation when he was on the Isle of Patmos. Be quiet and hear God’s voice. “Be still and know that I am God,” he says in Psalm 46. “I will be exalted above the heathen. I will be exalted over the whole earth. I am the Lord.” What we see as insurmountable, God Almighty sees and says to us: “You can do it.” No worries!
Thanks for reading! Jeanette Grattan Parker is the founder-superintendent of Today’s Fresh Start Charter School, 4514 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles 90043, 323-293-9826 www.todaysfreshstart.org (Ask Dr. Jeanette TM) Inquiring Minds Want to Know.” All articles are copyright. All rights reserved © Errors? Let me know. Join Sundays for music & message: 11:30am {1-712-775-8971—code 266751} Keep praying and keep hoping. References: (The Holy Bible) Hebrew Study Bible. Companion Bible.
