I (Jesus Christ) have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.(Hebrews 9:28)

Monday, 15 July 2013

Moses -The Deliverer

Partner in God's Purpose

Moses Concerned with Justice first by intervening when he witnessed one of His fellow country men being beaten, and later by coming to the aid of Midianite girls by taking matters into His own hands was pre-empting God's initiative.  But God dealt with the egyptian in His time and in His ways. The Israelites groaned and God heard their groaning. God's compassion evokes within him the memory of His covenant promises made first to Abraham, and repeated to Isaac and Jacob that Abraham's descendants would be the means of Bringing blessing and salvation to all the nations of the earth. God does not wait until we are perfect before He uses us. He does not delight in our imperfections of course, but He does not disregard us because of them either. God can transform the most unlikely material into partners in His purpose. Look at the word of God as to what it has to say;

God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses!" (Exodus 3:4)

We come to a thrilling moment, where God called Moses and makes himself known to Moses. Moses becomes curious because the bush is not consumed while it is burning. Having gained Moses attention, God reminds him of his covenant with his forefathers and his determination to become involved in the suffering of his people and intervene and rescue them. God also tells Moses " So now, I am sending you to pharaoh. Moses asks God, 'Who are you? "What is your name?"  In other words who is authorising me to do this? See Gods Reply.

" God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM." (Exodus 3:14).

This means I will be what I will be. Here we see, God reveals about himself and his nature. Accepting Gods Commission Moses Goes and confronts with the Pharaoh with God's demand "Let my people Go". Paharaoh does not permit the demand and asks who is the Lord that I should obey and let the Israelites go? This shows a sinful human stubbornness clashing with divine purposes. Pharaoh's heart was unyeilding and refuses to let the people go. Then God commands through Moses a series of plagues. These events were unique and purposefully brought about and demonstrated for all time God's powerful creative supremacy over the forces of nature. 

During the ninth plague, creation in Egypt is plunged back to darkness and the Egyptian Sun God is discredited and as the sun goes down over Egypt, so Pharaoh's power is eclipsed. 

But the Bible tells us "The Israelites had light in their places where they lived".(Exodus 10:23).

The Bible tells us "But God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 10:27).Why? "But indeed for the purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.(Exodus 9:16).

This tells us God always intended to make an example of Pharaoh in the interest not just of Israel, but of his larger plan of bringing salvation to all nations including Egypt.

" When I see the blood I will pass over you.(Exodus 12:13)
The israelites are instructed to prepare for their miraculous protection by applying on their doorposts with the blood of the lamb they were to sacrifice, so that when the Lord on his mission of judgement sees the blood, He will " Pass over" their houses. Why this?

" For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and I will strike all the first born and beast, and against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute judgement; I am the Lord."

The final devastating divine judgement to fall on Egypt is the death of all its firstborns. As there was light when darkness prevailed, the Lord God, however promises to preserve the Israelites. By doing so God identifies them uniquely as his people.God's controversy is not with the Egyptians or with Pharaoh but with the God's of Egypt. Pharaoh was a front for the false Gods and tragically the people he represented suffered with him and because of Him. Pharaoh's defeat is complete and the Israelites leave Egypt to the promised land.

Let us turn to the next post to see what happened thereafter?



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