Where I used to live, in Southeast Michigan, there was an intersection that if you stood in the middle of it, you would technically be in four different towns.  The two roads that intersected went North and South or East and West.  That traffic light was lined with cars most of the day (especially at rush hour), and a lot of times, you couldn’t avoid to get to the businesses that lined those streets or the expressway on ramp just past the intersection.

When I continued this story of Moses, I found myself trying to organize all that God was preparing by thinking of them as the streets that culminated into one big intersection.  All that God had been preparing was leading to one place, one big event. It was all finally coming together.

Many times, if we look, we can see God doing the same in our lives.  Even where we thought a particular journey had an endpoint, was the beginning of another.

S – Scripture: Exodus 10-12

• 10:13 – “So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the LORD caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts.”
• 10:19 – “The LORD responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt.”
• 10:21-13 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.’ So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.”
• 11:1 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave.'”
• 11:9 – “Now the LORD had told Moses earlier, ‘Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.’ Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country.”
• 12:11-14 – “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the LORD’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time.”
• 12:26 – “Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’ When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.”
• 12:36 – “The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!”
• 12:40-42 – “The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD’s forces left the land. On this night the LORD kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.”

O – Observation:

• God brought about and took away the locust plague by controlling the way the wind blew.
• The next miracle was complete darkness for three days, so thick, you could feel it.  Israel was unaffected.
• It was foretold by God that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened towards letting the Israelites go.  The signs and wonders God would perform were meant to show his amazing power among ALL people, Egyptians, Israelites, and the world.
• He had to prepare the Israelites for the long journey to get them to the Promised Land.  They had to know what he was capable of so that they would trust him all along the way. The Israelites had to see how much God loved and cared for them so that they could believe in his provision when things got difficult.
• The final blow to the Egyptians was the mass killing of their firstborn sons.  Israel was instructed to spread the blood of a lamb around their doorposts so that God’s death angel would pass over their houses.  This would become a symbol and festival of remembrance for what the Lord did for them.
• The Israelites were instructed to be ready to get out of Egypt when Pharaoh gave the command.  They were packed, dressed, fed, and ready for the journey.
• God struck at what was most precious to Pharaoh and he commanded them to leave Egypt.

A – Application: 

Heading south (we’ll call it): God’s plan with Egypt and their downfall.

Egypt is seen as a powerful nation throughout the world. By bringing them to the brink of ruin, God can establish his ultimate rule over even the strongest systems.

Lesson: It is not always the strongest that he uses, but the willing and faithful and weak that he builds up and works through in just the right time. We don’t need to be intimidated by the greatness of worldly people and powers.  God is bigger and still in control of all of that.

Heading north: God’s raising up of the Israelites to be his chosen people.

Israel is the lowliest of nations, and have been for 430 years! They have been waiting and crying out for relief. Their hearts are ready for rescue and willing to follow a savior. He commanded them to be prepared for when the time came for them to move.

Lesson:  His power is truly made perfect in our weakness.  When our hearts are ready and surrendered, God can do his best work.  It’s so important to do that every day. Even when we are feeling confident that we can do it all without God, he may be calling us to do something more or different.  We must make it a point to remember and surrender daily.

Heading east: God’s use of the natural things around us to bring about his signs and wonders. 

As he wills, he fights for his people and gives them supernatural strength and abilities.  He uses all of his resources to bring his people back to him.  He controls the wind and the waves to carry out his plans.

Lesson:  God uses forces beyond our recognition to bring about his plans; and plans specific to our lives and needs.  Isn’t it amazing that we are loved by a God who will move the Heavens and Earth for us? How great our God is!

Heading west: God’s play on the internal hearts of men and their weaknesses.

God can speak and prompt people to step out and do some interesting things.  Whether it is to say something, do something, or give something, God moves in our hearts to bless and encourage others. He may harden others’ hearts or cause failure to allow us to further rely on him and build our resolve to persevere.

Lesson: God’s Spirit is powerful and active! He gave us his Spirit to guide and speak to us. Unexplainable, unexpected encounters and blessings can happen when people are open to listening for the Spirit’s prompts. How exciting a day could be when we tune our hearts to Him!

The intersection:

God’s purpose is for him to be known by his children (his creation) as the One True God throughout all of the nations.  His heart is to bring them back into intimate community with him. At the intersection of where all of his powers meet, is where I want to be.  That’s where the action is at!

In order for that to happen, we must surrender DAILY to his will and promptings.  We have to give up control of our day sometimes so we don’t miss the true blessings that he is wanting us to share in when we help others. Finally, we have to trust that he is working in the background, building and leading all of the roads and people necessary to the great intersection where his plans and our purpose meet.

It’s a beautiful thing when we allow it.  It forces us to live intentionally, working towards a goal.  But it also allows us to rest and not go crazy, feeling like we have to do it all to get there.  We can have assurance that God is doing his part too.

I will say too, some roads take longer to build.  There can be delays.  It took 430 years for the road to freedom for the Israelites made it to the Exodus Intersection (we’ll call it).  It doesn’t mean that God isn’t working.  He is working tirelessly for you! And in ways we cannot see until the proper time.  It’s in times like these where you need to have faith, and be in the spirit of preparing yourself for whatever is to come.  Keep building your road (God can handle multiple construction projects at one time, haha!).  Keep strengthening your foundation by getting in the Word, serving in some capacity, supporting those around you.

Be encouraged! What you have been waiting for will come.  God is working and moving to bring all of the roads together.  When it does happen, it will be a joyous occasion.  I can’t wait for that day for you!

P – Prayer: 

God, thank you for working behind the scenes to bring all that needs to be together just so.  It pushes me to draw closer to you and listen because I don’t want to miss out on your plans.  But it also allows me to rest and trust that you are working despite my failures and weaknesses.  Thank you for choosing to use me.

God I pray that for everyone who is waiting for something to happen in their lives today.  Can you give them a glimpse of what you are doing and how you are working?  Strengthen them to keep going, knowing that you are bringing all of the things together in your time, which is always the best time.  Thank you for your grace.  Amen.

Have you ever made decisions based on fear? Has the fear of something coming to fruition kept you from doing certain things? Or, have you built up safeguards, in response to fear, to protect yourself?

I’m not talking about taking precautions for safety. Fear can be a tool to help us assess a situation and stay still or move forward.

But isn’t it true that some fears (if not most) are unrealistic and made up in our minds? Those are the types of fears that settled on my heart today while writing.

I’ve always studied story of the plagues on Egypt from Moses’ and God’s perspectives. I wrote on that last time. I took a different look at the narrative this time, and focused on Pharaoh’s responses and reactions to God’s signs. What I found was that they all stemmed from fear.

There are some good truths and a TON of scripture ahead! Get ready!

S – Scripture: Exodus 7-9

• 7:4-6 – “‘But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces–my people, the Israelites–from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.’ So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.”
• 7:20-22 – “So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood! The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted.”
• 8:6-7 – “So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.”
• 2:15 – “But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted.”
• 2:18-19 – “Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike. ‘This is the finger of God!’ the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.”
• 8:22-24 – “‘But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land. I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’ And the LORD did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.”
• 8:31-32 – “And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go. “
• 9:6 – “And the LORD did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal.”
• 9:8-9 – “Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.'”
• 9:15-16 – “‘By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose–to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.'” 
• 9:24-26 – “Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field–people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.”
• 9:27 – “Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. ‘This time I have sinned,’ he confessed. ‘The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong.'”
• 9:34-35 – “But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses.”

O – Observation:

• God’s purpose in hardening Pharaoh’s heart was to show is power throughout Egypt and the world by his miraculous signs.  Everyone will know that it was only by God’s hand that Israel was freed from the oppression of the Egyptians.
• The first three signs: turning the staff into a snake, the Nile into blood, and the overwhelming amount of frogs, were replicated by Pharaoh’s magicians and affected everyone, Egyptians and Israelites.
• Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because of this.
• The first time the magicians failed at reproducing a sign was with the gnats.  Pharaoh wasn’t moved, however.
• Next, flies swarmed over all of Egypt, a plague came and killed all of the livestock, and boils infested all of the people. The magicians couldn’t do it, and the Israelites were spared of these terrible wonders.  For the first time, God made a distinction between Pharaoh’s people and his own, whom he had chosen to protect.
• With the flies, as soon as God took them away, Pharaoh’s heart hardened. He had almost let them go until this happened.
• The plague and boils left him unmovable.  His pride and stubbornness refused to let them go still. Those weren’t powerful enough to break him down.  God knew that in saying that he could’ve wiped the Egyptians out easily, but hasn’t. God had a greater purpose and used Pharaoh’s pride to his advantage.
• Pharaoh almost breaks when the hail comes and destroys everything.  He even acknowledges God and his righteousness, and his own sin.  But as soon as the hailstorm subsides, he goes back on his word.

A – Application: 

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19 

Why Pharaoh’s heart hardened…

1.) God hardened it, first and foremost, for his purpose in showing his power throughout Egypt and the world.

2.) His magicians could replicate the miracles that God performed. Clearly, Moses’ God was only has powerful as his own gods.

3.) The wonders had not completely destroyed, only partially maimed Egypt. They would be able to recover from those. This was flat-out stubbornness and pride in his own abilities to rule.

4.) The plagues weren’t permanent. As soon as Moses prayed for relief, they were gone. God may have seemed like a magic genie, able to be controlled to do whatever one wished.

Egypt was clearly a mighty nation with many resources.  It was Pharaoh’s job to protect that and continue to build the country up in power and strength.  Earlier, we read of Pharaoh’s fear that the Israelites would soon grown and overtake the people of Egypt. Under no circumstances would the dynasty fall while this Pharaoh was in power.  It couldn’t. He must do everything that he could to preserve Egypt.  The decisions that followed: enslaving them and killing their sons, were all driven by that fear.

In her article, “Top 10 Fears That Hold Us Back In Life,” Amy Morin describes: the fear of rejection, failure, uncertainty, loneliness, change, loss of freedom, being judged, getting hurt, inadequecy, and of something bad happening as the top ten. I’m pretty sure that I have felt all of these.  In response, I’ve built up walls to protect myself from those fears actually happening.  Have you ever done this?

I fear failure, so I don’t even try.  I fear rejection, so I don’t submit anything. I fear uncertainty, so I stay in my comfort zone. I fear loneliness, so I surround every waking minute with the distraction of people or things.  I fear change, so I stay the same. I fear being judged, so I don’t put myself out there. I fear getting hurt, so I isolate myself from the people I love and other meaningful relationships. I fear being inadequate, so I don’t strive or set lofty goals. I fear something bad will happen, so I make everything around me safe and secure.

Sometimes these safeguards are strong.  The inner castle is protected by moats filled with alligators, archers, soldiers, tall and thick walls, locks and vaults, mazes and riddles.  No one is getting in there!

It’s interesting, then, that these walls can become a source of pride. We see ourselves and appear to others as strong and sturdy.

The great Nile was the source of life.  Their always abundant fields and livestock were an image of great wealth and security.  The beautiful palaces, homes, and buildings that were built showed perfection by the work of their hands.  All of these things were covers to let the world know that they were above adequate, safe, secure, successful, worthy.  They were unstoppable and unbreakable.

God was chipping away at the sources of Pharaoh’s pride that were built up because of his fear.  Through the plagues, he was going to reveal Egypts greatest fear: that there was a mightier nation and that their gods were nothing in comparison.

Pharoah’s fear led him to pride and stubborness, to the detriment of his whole people.  It doesn’t have to be like that for us.  He was unrelenting in his pride. We don’t have to let our fear and pride get this out of hand.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

The fall from pride to humility and the revelation of fear from darkness to light is a tough journey.  It takes submission and time. But we can trust in God’s perfect love and faithfulness. When we allow God access to our pride and fears, he can break those down to bring about freedom and purpose in our lives.  When we recognize him as the source of everything, our fears can shed off.  We aren’t in it alone.

When you say that you fear rejection, God says:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 6:37

When you say that you fear failure, God says:

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one–for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one–for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” Romans 8:31-34

When you say that you fear uncertainty, God says:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” Jeremiah 29:11

When you say that you fear loneliness, God says:

“‘Do not be afraid. I will save you. I have called you by name—you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you. For I am the Lord, your God. … because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor, do not be afraid—I am with you!’” Isaiah 43:1-5 (GNTD)

When you say that you fear change, God says:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

When you say that you fear loss of freedom, God says:

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1 

When you say that you fear being judged, God says:

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.” John 3:16-18

When you say that you fear getting hurt, God says:

“In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people.” Psalm 118:5-8

When you say that you fear being inadequate, God says:

“It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

When you say that you fear something bad will happen, God says:

“”I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:6-8

For all of these fears, God has spoken true and good words that we can rely on.  We don’t need to build up walls, we need him.  Our fears, when acknowledged and handled properly, can be an opportunity to bring us to him, not away from him. We can come to him with our fears and expect him to work through us even more powerfully.

When we come to him with our fears, he gives peace in knowing that he’s got a handle on whatever situation we find ourselves in.  If we allow ourselves to accept that peace, we can take steps of courage which leads to healing, growth, and hope.  We move closer to him and the purposes he has for us.

Isn’t God so good?

P – Prayer:

God, I don’t want to harden my heart to you because of fear and pride.  I don’t want to build up walls that keep you out and rely on my own strength.  I don’t want to live in fear anymore.  I want to walk firmly in the paths that you have for me, because I know they will be great. Help me to acknowledge the fear that comes up and to turn immediately to you.  You are so powerful and love me so much, thank you.  Thank you that your love casts out fear.  Amen.

 

It probably wasn’t surprising that when I was young I wanted to become a school teacher.  Both of my parents were teachers in some capacity.  My mom taught music at a Community College (and now full-time at an Elementary School).  My dad is a Pastor.

As I went through school, I realized that I didn’t want to be that kind of teacher, though I have great respect for those who do.  I slowly lost that passion.  However, that little seed still flourished, just in a different way.  I led Bible Studies throughout college, taught group fitness classes, and ended up become a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach.  I had become a teacher, essentially, though I didn’t really embrace it until a couple of years ago.

I took a Spiritual Gifts test and one of my top gifts was teaching (my first one was faith).  One of my lower ones was leadership, which struck me as odd.  I always found myself in leadership positions. What would happen if I truly embraced my teaching gift? Where would God lead me? What is holding me back from accepting that as a gift?

As I read through the story of Moses this time around, God brought to my attention how he planted a passion in Moses long before he knew what it meant.  Moses went on with his life, dismissing that calling and settling in to a comfortable and content life. But God doesn’t let it sit unused.  Let’s see how this plays out and what we can learn for our lives.

S – Scripture: Exodus 4-6

• 4:1-5 – “But Moses protested again, ‘What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD never appeared to you’? Then the LORD asked him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A shepherd’s staff,’ Moses replied.  ‘Throw it down on the ground,’ the LORD told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Then the LORD told him, ‘Reach out and grab its tail.’ So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. ‘Perform this sign,’ the LORD told him. ‘Then they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob–really has appeared to you.'”
• 4:10-12 – “But Moses pleaded with the LORD, ‘O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.’ Then the LORD asked Moses, ‘Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.'”
• 4:13-14 – “But Moses again pleaded, ‘Lord, please! Send anyone else.’ Then the LORD became angry with Moses. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well.'”
• 4:24-26 – “On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted him and was about to kill him. But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, ‘Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.’ (When she said ‘a bridegroom of blood,’ she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the LORD left him alone.”
• 5:2 – “‘Is that so?’ retorted Pharaoh. ‘And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.'”
• 5:22-23 – “Then Moses went back to the LORD and protested, ‘Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!'” 
• 6:4-9 – “‘And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!’ So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.'”
• 6:30 – “But Moses argued with the LORD, saying, ‘I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?'”

O – Observation: 

• In showing how he was going to prove himself to Pharaoh, God was also proving himself to Moses.  It’s as if Moses needed it before he would be confident enough to go.  Also, would God’s power be sufficient enough for him to go and do the task, or would his own weaknesses get in his way.
• The latter occurs.  Moses pleads with the Lord multiple times that he is not the right man for the job and to send someone else.  He gets tongue-tied and stumbles on his words.
• I love God’s response: “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
• God becomes angry when this isn’t enough for Moses and agrees to use Aaron as well.
• Circumcision was a sign that you were of God’s people. The Lord confronted Moses but was led away from killing him when Zipporah circumcised Gershom, their son. This passage confuses me a little bit.  Maybe it was one more test for Moses to see if he was all in on leading his people out of Egypt.  It was a symbol to deny any ties to the Egyptians and take on the life of an Israelite, God’s chosen people.  The family needed to be all in too.
• The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so he refused to let the people go and instead, increased their labor and abuse.  He took away the straw to make the bricks, but demanded that the same quota was reached.
• The Israelites blamed Moses (and God) for this, and therefore wouldn’t listen to anything he said.  God speaks through Moses, saying that he will rescue them and renew the covenant that he made with Abraham and passed down to Isaac and Jacob.  He would bring them to the land of their ancestors.  But they wouldn’t listen.  They were so bogged down by their slavery and became hopeless to the possibility of being free.

A – Application:

1.) God establishes who he is and the power he has to do what he wants to do:

We see this previously with the burning bush that isn’t being destroyed and now with the signs that Moses is going to perform to Pharaoh.  God brings the dead to life with the staff turning into a snake.  He proves his control over health to disease in having Moses’ hand turn leprous and back again.  Finally, how something life-giving, like the great Nile River, can become undone by his hand and turned to blood.  He has ultimate power over all of creation.

When Moses gives the excuse of being slow in speech and tongue-tied, God acknowledges it by stating how he created the mouth, vocal chords, tongue, and anything else needed for proper speech. He has the power to control what people say, hear, and see.  Can the Creator of all things also command all things?  Whatever our weakness or fear is, God has the power to work through it.

Later, we witness God’s power to control men’s hearts.  It says that he hardens Pharaoh’s which makes him refuse to let the Israelites go.  Egypt is a mighty country and the world knows it.  The Israelites are obviously the weaker and enslaved.  I don’t think this is just a story of a quick rescue for the sake of just the Israelites, but to establish over all of the world that the Lord can bring the mighty low and raise the weak.  And it is only by his power that this can be achieved. It is a story that we can look at today and understand how God can use anyone and anything to bring about great change.

2.) He understands our weaknesses and uses us anyway:

In this passage, we see that God is starting to raise up a leader for his people. He knew the journey that was to come, and perseverance and patience it would take. Moses is living a secluded and quiet life among his family and sheep. He seems quite content as far as we know.  He had left behind his former life.

However, if we look back, we see a passion in him that he had put to rest.  While in Egypt, when he went out among the Israelites and saw their oppression, he killed a guard that was beating a slave. He was so overcome by the cruel treatment of his people that he took someone’s life and then fled to resist persecution for his actions.

God remembered that passion in young Moses and now was the time to use it.

Why do we allow ourselves to forget those passions and dreams of our younger selves?  We “grow-up” and the world tells us that we need to bear a certain status and acheive a certain amount of wealth and so we become realistic, practical, and status quo. Sometimes, we may feel like we are just surviving and dreams have no place in our lives.  Dreams are for children and crazy people. Other times our aspirations become buried because we believe the assumed expectations or, because of fear.

Fear that we won’t have enough, make enough, and be enough. It’s better to be safe and comfortable and acheive just enough to make ourselves look good on the outside.  But God says otherwise! Those passions and dreams he instilled in you as a child have a purpose and he intends to use them.  It may look differently than we had originally dreamed, but when we allow God to break in to those and use them, he can do great things.

It’s exciting because it is when who and how we were created meets up with God’s greater plan!

Moses had a passion to help his people but put it to rest when he fled to Midian.  He grew up, started a family, led a nice and quiet life.  His main company were sheep, so he probably didn’t have to speak much.  This job covered his weaknesses and used his strengths.  But he was meant for so much more.  That early passion was to become his purpose.

God chose him inspite of his weakness.  God used him even with all of his fears. And God strengthened him with every sign and miracle he was asked to perform.  Moses would grow in courage and boldness so that when God called him to do greater things, he would be able to.

I don’t know if I’m using my younger self’s passion to it’s full capacity just yet.  This blog, I feel, is a stepping stone. It became available to me when I started to embrace my passion for teaching.  It was a big step in my faith, but also a bold step of obedience for.  Once I felt confident about my gift in teaching, I had to use it!  I had to allow God to break down all of the fears that came with starting a blog and unveiling my findings with the world. That was a process and didn’t happen overnight. But now, I can see this as a step into some greater form of teaching later on.  The things I am learning through this are preparing me for the next level.  It all started with a little bit of faith and obedience to a passion that God had instilled in me when I was young.

What did you want to be when you were little?  Why did you change (if you changed)? What fears or weaknesses are holding you back?  It may not necessarily be a career, but a hobby or service opportunity.

When we identify who and how God made us, he tends be faithful in helping our dreams and passions come to fruition.  This is because he LOVES how he made you!

This is such an important truth!

P – Prayer:

God, thank you for taking me back to my childhood passions and dreaming again.  Those weren’t just silly aspirations of a little girl, but instilled in me for a purpose to work, serve, or enjoy you. Help me to breakdown those fears brought on by “growing up” and start living the passions that you gave me.  I am confident that when I let go of my fears you will show me opportunities to use my gifts confidently and purposefully.  You are so good, and you do great and mighty things.  Amen.