Exodus 6:28 – 7:7 – July 28th, 2009
Once again, God tells Moses that He is God, and then tells Moses what to do. Then, Moses responds with his lack of ability. It is almost overwhelmingly repetitive. God says “I AM”, Moses says “I can’t”. To be honest, it makes me feel a little better about when I lack faith. Still, God will empower Moses, and Aaron will do the speaking.
The command of God is to go into Egypt and to say all that God speaks through him to Pharaoh. However, the words will fall on deaf ears, and Pharaoh will not respond. However, verse 3 is what gets me thinking. In Exodus 7:3 God tells Moses that God Himself will harden Pharaoh’s heart. In other words, when Moses goes into Egypt, and God will speak to Moses. Moses will do exactly as God tells him, and Aaron will speak on behalf of Moses for God – exactly what God speaks to Moses. During this time God will do amazing and wondrous signs. God’s power will be displayed to those in Egypt. However, Pharaoh will not listen.
Exodus 7:7 tells us that at this time, when all this takes place, Aaron is 83 years old, and Moses is 80. Can you imagine what might go through your head? “Hey, God, I know you are God and all, but I am 80 years old, and really don’t have the patience at my age for this!” “If you are going to use me in Egypt, can it at least work?”
God will speak to Moses, Moses will show powerful things to Pharaoh, Aaron will speak the words God tells Moses to speak, and Pharaoh will not listen. Frustrating.
The key to this passage is verses 3-5. God is the one who causes Pharaoh not to listen. He is the One who hardens Pharaoh’s heart. He does this that the people of Egypt may know He is God.
As we look closely we can see parallels from Moses to Jesus. Moses was called by God many hundreds of years before Jesus became Man. However, often in the New Testament we read about Jesus performing miraculous signs and wonders, and speaking amazingly powerful messages to the people. Yet, although this is true, the religious leaders of the day primarily didn’t believe anything Jesus said. In fact, they sought to kill Him instead.
How is this like Moses? Jesus came and taught us that the words of Isaiah were coming true, that though they were hearing they did not understand. I suppose the only difference is that Jesus knew that God had a plan, and trusted in it more than we do.
Why would God not only allow people to not “get it”, but even cause them to not act favorably? Again, the answer is in verses 3-5, it is all about God being able to make Himself known through it. What if it is more important for God to be know, than for what we are doing “for God” to be successful? Is that something we can do? It must have been difficult for Moses, I know it is difficult for me in ministry, but it clearly follows what God did throughout the Bible. What if we remembered what we do for God is simple obedience? We obey, He provides the outcome.
Grace & Peace,
Jeff Ludington.
Wow, talk about lack of faith!
ReplyDeleteMoses keeps saying he can't do it even though God keeps saying you can't but I can. I know sometimes we too lack faith; I don't know about you but I think that if God told me "this is what you will do and this is what will happen when you do it" and this came true as he said it would, my lack of faith would stop and I would believe from that moment on.
It all comes down to faith! Believing and receiving what God says and being obedient by faith! His ways are not our ways and yet we still try to figure out what He is doing instead of just trusting Him (by faith) and letting Him do it! Why do we complicate even our faith. It should be simple. Childlike.
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