Moses

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Why Did You Ever Send Me?

Exodus 5:22 “…Why did You ever send me?”

As I look back on my life I wonder. There have been some crushing failures. I didn’t always make right decisions and even when I did, things didn’t always end well.

Becoming a mother was life changing. I had read many books and watched others succeed or fail. I was sure our children would be an example to all.

The reality was much harder. I didn’t have all the answers. Some days I didn’t have any answers. These children needed something I couldn’t give them. They needed the breath of the living God. So we taught and we prayed and we watched them grow and succeed and make mistakes. We made plenty of mistakes ourselves. It didn’t all turn out as we expected.

I went from thinking I was going to be a perfect mother to “why had God entrusted these children to me? I am obviously not succeeding at it.”

Then I remembered Moses. Rescued from death by Pharaoh’s daughter. Raised for a few years by his own mother. Grew up in a palace with every advantage. Murders an Egyptian when trying to stand up for his own people. Flees Egypt and lives in the wilderness until he meets God in the burning bush.

God had a job for him. Return to Egypt and get Pharoah to let my peole go. Moses was afraid. He argued with God about his abilities. God urged him on, even getting angry when Moses complained about his innability to speak well. (God gave him Aaron to be his mouth piece.)

Moses, with his brother Aaron in tow, confronted Pharaoh. He asked Pharaoh to let Israel go to worship their God. Pharaoh gets angry and takes it out on the sons of Israel. Their hard labor became impossible. The people turned on Moses and claimed Pharaoh was trying to kill them because of him.

Moses turns to God and says… “O LORD, why have You done evil to this people? Why did You ever send me?” (Exodus 5:22)

Can you relate? I have felt that way many times. But it isn’t about me. It is about God and what He will do in impossible situations.

God purposefully, step by step drew his people out of Egypt. There would be hardship and trial, but it is better to be in the wilderness with God than enjoying the leeks and onions of Egypt while under slavery. They had the promise of Canaan. They endured much to get there…and God was with them every step of the way…

So as I look back on my failures and my inadequacies I need to remember that God is a God of miracles who chooses frail and weak people to carry out his plans. It is because of my weaknesses that God’s power can be displayed. Any good that comes is not me. All the praise and glory go to Him.

Take heart. He has not left you here alone. He is with us each step of the way. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. This trouble will pass. There will be a better day. This testing will make you like gold.

Believe it!

So what do I do in the mean time? I faithfully do what God has given me to do. The results won’t always be what I expect. The beautiful ending won’t always happen. My job is simply to obey.

For further study:

I Corinthians 1:26-31

II Corinthians 12:9-10

Exodus 2-5

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Unexpected Path (Wilderness Journey #7)

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Israel was free. Pharaoh had sent them away. (Exodus 12:31)

God went with them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night until they reached a spot near the Red Sea. There they set up camp.

Pharaoh, regretting that he had lost all his slave labor, decided to bring them back. His chariots caught up to Israel where they were camped by the sea.

Israel panicked. First they cried out to God, and then quickly complained to Moses for taking them out of Egypt. “We would rather have been slaves forever than to die in the wilderness.” (my paraphrase)

Moses responded with…”Do not fear, stand by and see the salvation of the LORD…The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Next God tells the people to move forward. God tells Moses that a dry path will open through the Red Sea when he lifts up his staff.

While they move forward God moves behind them with his pillar of cloud along with his angel. They were a barrier, a protection from the Egyptian army.

All night the wind blew a dry path with walls of water on each side. Israel moved through to the other shore.

In the early morning Pharaoh follows this strange new path, but he doesn’t have the success the Israelites had. God causes confusion, their chariot wheels swerve and they drive with difficulty. Too late they realize God is fighting for Israel and at daybreak God “overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.”

An unexpected path led to Israel’s deliverance. It is not a path they could have imagined, or contrived. It was all of God. The incident shows God’s loving care for His people. Even in the midst of their complaining he took care of them.

What kind of trouble are you facing today? Are you in a difficult situation without any obvious means of escape? I know a God who does His best work in impossible circumstances. Believe that He is there with you. Turn to Him for help. He loves you like no other.

For further study: 

Exodus 14; Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 9:9

 

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Wilderness Journey #4 – Called to Service

 

Moses has spent the last 40 years tending sheep. He seems to have forgotten his former zeal for his brethren, but God had a plan that involved Moses. God had not forgotten. Read the following passage and work through the questions.

Exodus 3:1-22; 4:1-17

  • What did God use to get Moses attention?
  •  When did God speak to Moses? (vs. 3-4)
  •  What is God doing in your life to get your attention?
  •  God’s word is our burning bush. If we turn aside God will speak to us through it. See II Timothy 3:16 and Hebrews 4:12
  •  God introduces Himself in vs. 5 & 6. List the verbs God uses in verses 7-9.
  •  What was the problem? What was God going to do?
  •  How does God want to include Moses? vs. 10
  •  How does Moses respond in vs. 11?
  •  The argument continues. Take note of Moses’ misgivings and God’s solutions.
  •  How has Moses changed? Compare Exodus 4:10-13 with Acts 7:22? Why the shift?
  •  Our confidence needs to be in God, not our own abilities. At this point Moses had lost confidence in both. Did God write him off?
  •  What is God asking you to do today? How can you be faithful? Is there an area that you feel inadequate? Is that a good or bad thing?
  •  Learning to trust God is a daily process. Pray that you don’t get so busy arguing with God that you never move forward in obedience. The road ahead is uncertain, but our God has never been uncertain. Our God has never been more faithful. Our God is bigger than the problems we face.  He is there with us.. Believe it.

 

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Wilderness Journey #3 – Preparation

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Waiting. I don’t wait well. Today we find Moses sitting by a well in Midian.

Read Exodus 2:16-25 and Acts 7:29-30a and then work through the questions.

  • What trouble did Moses witness in verses 16 & 17?
  •  What did Moses do?
  •  Does this remind you of the incident in vs. 11 & 12?
  •  What did the priest of Midian do for Moses?
  •  What do we assume was Moses job for the next 40 years?
  •  Why would this have been good training for his next position?
  •  Meanwhile what has been happening in Egypt? (vs. 23)
  •  List the verbs associated with God in vs. 24 & 25.
  • How does that bring you comfort?
  •  These few verses cover a 40 year span. He will be almost 80 when we see him next.
  •  How can I learn to wait well? What can I be doing while I wait?

Just a reminder that our timeline is not God’s timeline. He is patient towards us.

I have pulled out an old hymn book. I’m reminded how rich the words are. I need to do more singing. I might post one or two next week. Time will tell. Let me know if you have a favorite.

Until next time.

Karen

 

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Wilderness Journey #2 – False Start

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Mid-life crisis. We’ve all had moments when we realize how old we are and fret about missed opportunities or determine to change the direction of our lives.

Today we catch up to Moses when he is almost 40. Notice the two worlds he is a part of. Read Exodus 2:11-15. There are two New Testament passages that would also be helpful. Acts 7:22-29 and Hebrews 11:24-26.

  • What has he been spending his time doing up to this point? What kind of man had he become? (Acts 7:22)
  • Unlike the movie version he knew what his roots were.
  • What did he think his destiny was? (Acts 7:25)
  •  What did Moses do when he saw a Hebrew being mistreated?
  •  Whose job is it to take vengeance? (Deuteronomy 32:35)
  •  How did the sons of Israel respond to Moses the next day when he tried to be a peacemaker?
  •  What did Pharoah try to do?
  • What did Moses do?
  •  What or who had he been looking to for the freeing of Israel?
  •  Who am I looking to for help in trouble? Do I ever overstep my role in trying to fix things?
  • How do I get ahead of God?
  •  How was God using these circumstances in Moses life to prepare him for service?
  •  What difficulties in my life is God using to prepare me for service?

God’s time table is not the same as ours. Forty years old seems like a reasonable age for someone to start their ministry or leadership, yet God had other plans. We will learn more about that on Friday.

 

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Wilderness Journey – #1 – Background

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“Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.” Genesis 15:13-14

It had been 320 years since God had said this to Abraham. If anyone was counting that meant they had 80 years to wait.

Today we will learn about Jochebed. Her story is found in Exodus 1:22-2:10. The names of her and her family are found in Numbers 26:59. Take some time to read through it and then answer the following questions.

  • Why did Pharaoh decide to murder the innocent baby boys? (Exodus 1:8-10)
  •  How did Jochebed manage to hide Moses for 3 months? (Talk about social distancing.)
  • When that becomes unmanageable what does she do? Who does she involve?
  • Who is she trusting? (see Hebrews 11:23)
  • Who does God send to protect and care for Moses? How is this ironic?
  • What role does Jochebed continue to play in Moses life?
  •  What does she eventually do in verse 10?
  •  What impossible situation am I facing?
  •  How can I live each day well? What can I do today to trust God?

This is the last we hear of Jochebed. I don’t know if she never made it out of Egypt, but because of her faithfulness a nation was delivered from bondage.

This series will be looking at the next 120 years in Israel’s history. It is an amazing story. I hope you come on the journey with me.

Karen