Thank you so much for the responses many have made in our study of the Godhead. If we honor and worship God, we must know all about him that we can. While some claim to know God in their “hearts” they really do not know the God we serve, and the love and passion He has for us. Where do we find the characteristics of God? Only from God’s word! How else can we know about Him? From God’s word.
The Bible contains the self-revelation of God. God, being God, can use whomever and whatever he wishes to bring about his will. As we consider God and His power we see Him often using “weak instruments” to accomplish great things. Notice the following:
God used Moses and a rod in Exodus 4:2-9. God, being God, can use people and the things they have at hand to do great things. In Exodus 4:2 God asks Moses . . .
“What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” ESV
Moses needed to be convinced by God that he was the man to lead Israel out of Egypt. He had been reared in Pharaoh’s household after he had been saved by Pharaoh’s daughter. This gave Moses the opportunity to know the proper protocol to come in the presence of Pharaoh, which would prove useful many years later. Later, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, perhaps “striking a blow for freedom.” Moses had taken sides – he knew who he was and perhaps thought now was the time to stand up against the tyranny of Egypt. But now he is on the run. He moved to Midian, and “was content to live with the man Reuel and married his daughter Zipporah.”
We can see that God was working behind the scenes, to bring about deliverance to the children of Israel. Moses would be the leader and through the ten plagues Pharaoh would finally let them go. (Exodus 4-12)
However, back up to Exodus 3-4, where God tells him that he would be the one who would deliver Israel. It would be by God’s power, not Moses’, that the children of Israel would be delivered. Moses obeyed God, and God’s people were delivered!
In Exodus 3:11 we read of Moses’ effort to “get out” of the plan of God for him. After discussing this with God (?) we read “But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” (Exodus 4:10-17).
We know the rest of the story – Moses was used by God to deliver the children of Israel from bondage.
Some quick thoughts:
1. How often do I make excuses from obeying and doing what I know to be the
will of the Lord?
2. Do we see God’s patience as he commands Moses, and then his anger when
Moses did not comply? Do you think God is tired of my (our) excuses for not
doing what he has commanded me (us) to do?
There comes a time when we all will have to stand for the faith! When we
must believe God’s word even if the world does not. Study His word and see what
he requires of us. Then go out and do what he commands. Then, and only then,
when we follow God’s instructions, will God bless our efforts to serve him.
May the Lord be with us as we seek to do His will!
Tommy