Tag Archives: Moses

LESSONS FROM EXODUS

01 Thursday Feb 2018

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Circumstances in life, as dreary as they can be, are not a hindrance to the Lord’s working. The great servant Moses was found in a basket on the river.

Great men who serve the Lord are not always as one would think, that is, in a great position or with much going for him or her. Moses killed a man, hid the deed, but was found out.

The perceptions of the people are often wrong (5:20-21), and even the perception/interpretations of great servants like Moses is often wrong (5:22-23).

That which is impossible to man is not impossible to the Lord (6:6-9).

God hardening Pharaoh’s heart does not occur without Pharaoh first hardening his own heart (7:30).

Moses is called the meekest man on the earth (Numbers 12:3); to lead a massive group of people like he did, if he would have been anything but meek, he would have melted!

-With a position of significance (Moses) came responsibility and much affliction, much of it unfair (16:8). When the Lord set in place what He wanted done, it was not man’s option to alter anything of that which the Lord wanted done (25:40).

-One can’t presume on the Lord to have his, her, or some other’s sins forgiven; it is strictly up to the mercy of the Lord. The Lord is not obligated to do a single thing on our behalf, but it is His desire to give us all the He promised (32:34).

-Great men, like Aaron, can lead others into sin, as he allowed the Israelites to go unconstrained, and the Lord was prepared to call him to account for it, but for Moses’ petition to save him (cf. Deut. 9:20). RT

We Need Joshua

26 Sunday Nov 2017

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Men Like Joshua

When the Lord told Joshua to prepare himself for the duties in front of him, the Lord knew well that Joshua could not appreciate the difficult task he had. Joshua, however, was in better position than any other person, but even with that being the case, there was (and is) something different between being by the side of a great leader and being the leader yourself. When you are by the side of a great leader (or any leader), decision consequences don’t fall on you, but on the one who made them. When the Lord told Joshua to prepare himself, He said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (1:9, ESV). The Lord told Joshua to be courageous, but it was not in military matters He was speaking. What the Lord had in mind was for Joshua to be courageous in allegiance and obedience to the Lord’s Word and purpose. The Lord knew well that Joshua would face much resistance of one sort or another.

It takes a great deal of commitment and courage to stand firm in the Lord’s way when most of those around you are not doing so, or waffling in doing so. Joshua was leading a complex nation. No doubt there were many who loved the Lord as much as Joshua, but how many were confused in their loyalties. Perhaps many of them desired to hear and obey the Lord, but for one reason or another, they allowed distractions to get in the way. Some of those distractions could have been family issues, self-esteem, hardships and heartaches. Whatever it was, those so struggling, the Lord called upon them to set it aside and consider what was in front of them (cf. Hebrews 12:1-3).

Those called upon to lead either understand this already, or need to!

In Joshua 1:6-9, the Lord gave Joshua guidance as to how to stay courageous. First, he had a definite work to do; without an assigned task, one does not know what needs to be done, much less how to accomplish it. Second, to have a task at hand, means a directive must be in place to get the work completed. This complements the first point. At a practical level, a plan is most helpful to see where one needs to go; trying to “wing-it” brings confusion and directionless movements. As with the practical, so with the spiritual. Third, in Joshua’s case (as well as our own), divine help is a must; without the Lord, we can only hope to accomplish, but never really know whether we accomplished the task or arrived at the Lord’s destination. With the Lord’s plan in front of us, with the Lord’s plan faithfully executed, we will certainly accomplish the work required. Fourth, a determination to accomplish what is ahead means one must adopt courage, have a brave and determined heart to see it through to the end.

In the Lord’s church, godly men who serve as elders are crucial to the local congregation. Horror stories abound of men serving as elders who do not employ each the Lord’s principled guidelines given to Joshua. They are nice, courteous, financially astute, benevolent in spirit and means, but not very strong in the Lord; thus, mean/leaders like this are not godly from the Lord’s perspective, only from man’s. In fact, the Lord would not use them to lead His people. The Lord’s church need men like Joshua. RT

Leadership is tough!

21 Monday Sep 2015

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My devotional reading this week took me from Deuteronomy to Joshua. In Deuteronomy, the Lord’s national leader was Moses. He was a great man by any measurement (unless one uses evil as the measuring stick!), but he was a man who chaffed on occasion at people because of their continued resistance to the Lord’s way. Of course, not all of the people of Israel were guilty of such, but those relatively few that were guilty….they made life difficult.

Leadership is tough.

Joshua was Moses’ personal assistant, and it was Joshua the Lord called to follow the path of Moses in leadership. Think for a moment the daunting challenge Joshua had in following Moses. Leadership is tough, but following a great leader like Moses makes that “tough” a double dose!

Joshua learned a great deal from Moses, but no amount of observant learning gained is going to be as beneficial to a person as the amount of learning gained while in position! This is just the way it is. Learning by observation is great, but learning by personal experience is greater. Any leader who takes seriously the idea of leadership will say as much.

For Joshua, the key to a successful leadership work was the standard applied in the exercise of that leadership. He learned this from Moses, and he gained this from a firsthand account with the Lord. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8, ESV).

In a New Testament context, the elders of the local church must be men of sound spiritual characteristics, for without that the effectiveness of their leadership, from the Lord’s perspective is lost. In addition to this, they must be men of the book, that is, they must know the holy will of God, allowing no other teaching but His. RT

 

 

Leave Me Be!

27 Wednesday May 2015

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A remarkable sentiment when one thinks about it. In Exodus 14:12, many of the people of Israel expressed just such a thought. “Let us alone!” they said. “Why did you not leave us be in Egypt?” Given all that they experienced how could they make such a remark, or ask such a question? It has everything to do with where the heart is. Consider for a moment your routine. When you awake in the morning there is a particular routine that you engage as the events of the day start for you. I have my routine I am faithful to, and to get out of my routine is not easily or pleasantly done. When that routine is interrupted there is a bit of aggravation (Some people are more flexible and less likely to be aggravated). In a much more serious vein, some of the children of Israel had their routine and had little desire to upset that routine, especially when they saw the army of Egypt knocking on their back door. The life we choose to live is a life that becomes comfortable. When aspects of that life is altered or upset our irritations arise. Under no condition should you ever say to the Lord (by word, thought, or action), “Leave me be!”

History and Foolishness

19 Monday Jan 2015

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Last Sunday evening it was my plan to preach from Exodus 14 and 15, but with the inclement weather we experienced, I gave attention to some devotional, abbreviated, thoughts instead.

On the text of Exodus 14 and 15, it was my intent to highlight the Lord as a warrior (a man of war, 15:3). How the Lord dealt with situations of the past is a great encouragement to us in the present. As you know, historical lessons are crucial points of teaching that benefit all who take time to read, reflect and apply. We learn much about the Lord, but we also learn much from the people who, foolishly, refused to learn. Even more unfortunately, more times than not, people identifying themselves as belonging to God have refused to learn from the Lord. No doubt this has applied to you and me on, hopefully, rare occasions. This has resulted in much heartache and loss regardless of frequency.

The Israelites suffered much, but they also experienced much good in that which they suffered. The Lord redeemed (saved) them from Egyptian bondage, and He prevented them from going back after they crossed the Red Sea (in actuality, that was Israel’s Exodus from Egypt). But as they learned much, it seems that many refused to learn at all. There were difficulties before them, and on the occasion after having come from the depths of the Red Sea, they went back into the depths of old habits, not remembering the sustaining power of the Lord that was just experienced! They had a significant difficulty on their hands, that is, the lack of water. The significance of this is in relation to the sheer size of the nation (hundreds of thousands of people), coupled with their current location in the desert. What do many of the people do? Complain. This accomplished what? It certainly accomplished nothing positive in their relationship with the Lord. Thus, the Lord put them to the test (Exodus 15:26).

There are some lessons we can learn from this historical account. First, when faced with a significant difficulty complaining is not the answer. It only agitates the heart and mind. Second, facing the problem squarely, as Moses did, let us also do the same. The Lord is our solution. Third, reflect on what the Lord has done previously.

Learning from the past helps to remind us that as the Lord took care of His people long ago, He will do the same today.

Walking Toward A Reward

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

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Moses was a great leader; in fact, the Jews thought of him as the greatest of their leaders in all of history. It is easy to see why they might think such a thing as this. Moses, though, was just a man. He was a man given a task by the Lord that he needed to accomplish. You will recall that Moses was a reluctant leader (Exodus 3 and 4), but his reluctance gave way to the Lord’s will. As God’s leader to a nation that struggled between rebellion and faithfulness Moses had to struggle with his own limitations and frustrations. Near the end of his journey to the land of promise Moses learned that he was not going to cross over the Jordan River, but he was to prepare himself to cross over the river from which no man can return. With much determination and faithfulness to the Lord he prepared the people for their own crossing, disappointed as he might have been that he could not enter that anticipated land of promise. Instead, the Lord said for him to walk up this mountain “and die on the mountain which you ascend” (Deut. 32:50). Moses did so walking toward his death. What might have been his thoughts we will never know. All of us are walking the same journey. Though we don’t know what Moses thought, you certainly do know what it is you’re thinking. Are you prepared?

Your Name is Moses

20 Friday Dec 2013

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Your name is Moses, and you have been given a task by the Lord to do something monumental – something never having been accomplished before and not ever again will it be accomplished. Yet, as you look at yourself you feel that you are entirely inadequate for the task. You offer reasons to be excused from this task, but the Lord hears none of those reasons as being justifiable to relieve you of the responsibility given you. In a sense, you acquiesce. You do so because the Lord is the Lord and when he speaks, though there may be some doubt about self or the ability to tend to the event, the Lord is still the Lord. You then descend from the mountain.

You and your older brother go to Egypt. You are fortunate to get an audience before the Pharaoh. You and Aaron go in and declare the Lord’s will (Exodus 5:2), but the king of Egypt looks at you as if you are morons (using today’s expression). The king asks, “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?” He no more gets the question out than he declares that he does not know (recognize) the Lord and he will not let Israel go, embarrassing both of you.

Sometime after this visit with the king you learn of the heavier burden placed on the people the Lord asked you to lead out of Egypt. They have been burdened with more work that is almost beyond measure in the intensity of despair that it brings; this concerns you greatly. Now, the people have to wander through Egypt and find what was previously provided. The load being so great, a number of the leaders go to the king to present their case to Pharaoh about the unreasonable burden they have been placed under. On this occasion, you stay behind (presumably) and wait for the return of those who went in to meet with the king. However, once again, Pharaoh looks upon all and dismisses the legitimacy of any complaints. In fact, he ridicules you and the Lord you desire to serve (Exodus 5:17). Then the Scripture says,

They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Exodus 5:20-21, ESV).

Your name is Moses. Up to this point, it might have been all that you could do to take in hand the “Lord’s rod” and go to Pharaoh, and now you hear this! You are doing the Lord’s work and they place the blame on you and your brother for simply doing what the Lord said was to be done. This is not something that simply rolls off the backs of either one of you; it strikes you so hard that it rattles you. You wonder to yourself, “How in the world will the Lord get us out of this?” you ask. This is not a question that is easily or lightly asked, but it is a question that is asked when it feels like the world is caving in!

Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all” (Exodus 5:22-23, ESV).

This reminds one of the time when Peter was asked by the Lord about whether he and the others might turn away after many found his words troublesome, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6:68). This answer of Peter to the Lord is Moses’ answer in a dreadful circumstance, though Moses may not have been too sure of himself at this point. Moses does not reply as Peter did; his reply was more along the lines of “Why have you not done what you said you would?” Moses only understood in part the Lord’s answer. In fact, Moses’ question was answered by the Lord in the very next verse of the next chapter (Exodus 6:1).

Application

Try to imagine you are Moses and this monumental task is placed before you. How would you fare? Moses did not believe in himself to be able to accomplish what the Lord desired, but the Lord taught Moses that it was not in him that led, but in him who called Moses to the task. Even when we believe not in our ability to do the Lord’s will, when the Lord chooses to use man, in that man the Lord believes. The Lord knows that whatever it is that needs to be done, it can and will be done. The Lord also understands, very well, that there is nothing in any of us to accomplish the divine will. Whatever we have, it is not adequate to the task. When the Lord Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done” he taught us a very important lesson.

When the Lord chooses to use man as a servant, what man can overcome? Not only will man be made adequate to the situation, but he will be quite successful – all because it was the Lord’s doing and not man’s. Jesus spoke to his disciples encouraging words when he said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).  A moment’s reflection allows us to recognize that when the Lord’s will is done, the Lord’s chosen servant will get it done. Not because of the ability of the chosen one, but because of the One who chose. (This article was submitted and accepted by David Pharr, editor of Carolina Messenger.)

J,E,P,D and Jesus

06 Friday Dec 2013

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For a good while, about the last 200-250 years, there has been a battle raging between those who look at the Bible as a book composed by mere man and those who believe the Scriptures are authored by the Lord. The first group attributes many sources to the composition of the Bible. One such theory of sources is associated with what is known as the documentary hypothesis (DH). The DH is a wishful guess regarding material coming into existence and then arranged into what we have currently.

The J,E,P,D hypothesis (DH) is a prevalent view among academics in biblical matters. What is the JEPD hypothesis? It is a theory fabricated that asserts the view that Moses was not author of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible); rather, there was some varied authors who wrote and are now classified under each letter. In other words, there is a “J” writer, a “P” writer, etc. The “J” writer is one who wrote with an emphasis relative to the word “Jehovah,” the “P” writer wrote with an emphasis upon “priestly” things, the “E” writer with an emphasis upon “Elohim” matters, and the “D” writer with an emphasis on matters associated with “law”.

What is the evidence of such? Note what James Burton Coffman said: “There is absolutely no evidence whatever that any such document as ‘J,’ ‘E,’ or ‘P’ ever existed anywhere on this earth. Not even one little half-word from any such ‘document’ has ever been discovered on any ancient monument, or upon any clay tablet excavated from the Middle East graveyard of ancient civilizations” (Genesis, 1985, p. 8).

This is still the case today. That does not stop, however, current scholarship from asserting contrary opinions (without documentary evidence). In the latest issue of Restoration Quarterly (Volume 55, Number 4) one reads “[t]he current scholarly consensus is that the Pentateuch is a composite work” (p. 195). This means, though there is no evidence of the JEPD series of documents, the so-called scholars still believe that Moses did not author the first five books of the Bible.

This is a serious matter, and not one to be lightly dismissed. The History Channel is replete with such references in discussion concerning the Bible (cf. Matthew 15:14). When one considers and compares the “opinion” (or absolute truth) of Jesus, that which “scholarly consensus” expressed needs to be summarily dismissed. Jesus in a number of places attributed authorship of the Pentateuch to Moses (Matthew 8:4; 19:7-8; 22:24; 23:2; John 1:17; 3:14, etc.).

Thus, we have a couple of options to consider. First, the JEPD set of documents are in hand and evidence not to be dismissed. Second, Jesus spoke the truth when He attributed authorship to Moses. These are your only two options. If you have chosen the first you have, consequently, called Jesus a liar. Since option 1 is false (Titus 1:2), then option 2 is the only one a Christian can hold and be considered faithful to that which Jesus said. How can holding option 1 be considered a faithful reliance upon what the Lord said? It can’t!

An imaginary conversation: “Jesus, who wrote Genesis through Deuteronomy?” “Moses did; why do you ask?” “Because some who are called scholars say Moses didn’t, but that it’s a composite of a number of writers.” “Well, you can believe them, or you can believe me!” RT

Did Moses Do This?

27 Monday Feb 2012

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I don’t know that there is any among us who could be a “Moses.” Think about what he was called upon to do; he led the people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and toward the land promised by the Lord. In Numbers 11 many of them complained. They complained because they were bored with the edible routine. It was Moses’ fault (11:10-15). As you read try as best you can to empathize with Moses.

Preachers will never be a Moses, but they will surely feel the wrath and complaining that Moses experienced – to a much lesser degree, of course. A preacher almost has to be a mother in order to heal wounded egos of a brother or sister who feels he (she) has been slighted. A preacher needs to be a parent to make right when two brothers or two sisters (in the Lord) are fussing at one another. A preacher needs to be a grandparent with many years of wisdom to help troubled souls know what course of action to travel. A preacher needs to be a father who is plain spoken to administer discipline in the form of a stern talking to. Do you think Moses had to go through all this? I suspect he did.

Fall Also

08 Friday Oct 2010

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What did Moses do wrong, when Korah and his associates leveled the accusations against him and Aaron as they did? Nothing in the text seems to indicate anything of substance, but when people want to level accusations, nothing of substance is needed. As far as the record is concerned, Moses had the Lord’s blessings with him in all his activities; whatever was not right, the Scriptures point this out to us. It is noteworthy that with the situation with Korah and his associates, the Lord was soon to show with whom He was pleased (Numbers 16:4). A quick lesson we can learn: when one does that which is right (because it is right), then the accusations that will fly (for they surely will fly) will be accusations that will not stick. There is no doubt that with some people those flying accusations will be believed, but with the Lord, the accusations will fall down to the ground. The ones who leveled them will fall also.