Thursday, June 20

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Yesterday we saw how moses responded when God met him in the burning bush and called him to go back to Egypt and deliver God’s people from the hand of Pharaoh.  Moses did not exactly jump up and say, “great, let’s go!”  He had some questions first.  

Moses isn't finished with his excuses.

“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt...“The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.‘   - Exodus 3:16-18

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”  - Exodus 4:1

God has just finished telling Moses that the Israelites will listen to Him. He told him that Pharaoh would resist but would eventually be brought to his knees. And . . .the Egyptians would end up giving the Israelites treasures before they leave. After God says all this Moses says, "I don't think it is going to work."

Moses doesn’t seem to be listening.  Perhaps Moses has a different scenario in his head. Maybe he is imagining standing before Pharaoh's receptionist telling her that he was sent there by a voice coming out of a bush that was on fire but not being consumed. He knows that everyone will think he is crazy!

Do you remember the movie "Oh, God!" It starred John Denver and George Burns. It's a story similar to Moses. God tells his Moses (a supermarket manager) to tell the world about him. And guess what? No one believes that this supermarket manager has actually talked with God. We probably wouldn't believe it either. Moses can imagine what is going to happen. 

The problem was that Moses was focusing on his imaginary scenarios rather than on God's promise.  He was seeing obstacles while God pointed to opportunities. He saw problems and God saw potential. That's the way it is most of the time, you know. We see the mine field ahead of us when we should be watching the one who knows His way through the minefield. 

God had already told Moses that His plan IS GOING TO WORK. Moses wasn't paying attention. Sometimes we don't either. God tells us,

• I will supply all your need
• I will never leave you or forsake you
• You can do everything through Christ who gives you strength
• Ask and it will be given to you
• The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth

He tells us these things and we aren't listening. It's kind of like those neat toys your kids would get for Christmas. They come with simple instructions but we put them aside believing that we know better. We struggle, we get angry at the "stupid manufacturer" while all the time the instructions are right before us.

God in His wonderful patience gives Moses three "signs".  First, he gives him the ability to turn his walking stick into a snake.  This is one of the greatest pictures in all of scripture.  God tells Moses to throw down his walking stick.  Moses throws it down and it becomes a snake. Moses starts running!  God tells Moses to pick up the snake . . . by it's tail.  Moses responds, "Uhmm . . .Lord, my father taught me to NEVER pick up a snake by it's tail.  Always pick it up (if you have to) right behind it's head so it can't turn and bite you." 

God says, "Pick up the snake by the tail." For that moment Moses is in a crisis. Does he do what God tells him to do . . . which is against everything he had always been taught; or does he refuse the Almighty. To his credit, he acts in faith and picks up the snake. And the snake turns back into the walking stick! What a boost to the faith of Moses this must have been! It is obedience in the little things that leads to the ability to serve God in the big ways.

God doesn't stop here. He gives Moses two additional miracles: he gives him the ability to produce and remove leprosy from his hand and the ability to turn water into blood. These were simple signs that were designed to strengthen Moses more than to impress the people. There is no evidence that the people would not have believed without the signs. 

You and I don't need these kinds of things. We have history. We have the resurrection of Jesus Christ! We have the Bible. We have the evidence of changed lives all around us. 

Jeff Frazier