Greetings again my Brethren. Last month we began a new section as we began to look at God’s call in the life of Moses. Seen in Moses’ life are three major areas that must be a part of our lives if we are going to be useful to God when He calls. Again the three areas are: preparation, qualification, and providence. All of the areas are equally important and are to be progressive in nature in us as we walk with the LORD. This month we will look at Moses’ empathy and how he was mindful of the covenant he had between God and himself. One thing you can say of Moses is he had heart for his people. Many times when the people rose up in rebellion Moses fell on his face before God for them. After 430 years of captivity the LORD told Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:7-10) Moses’ call to lead his people out of bondage was not based on Moses being a great leader, but on God’s plan for Moses’ life. God told Moses I am going to lead the people out of slavery and I am going to send you. I am convinced Moses was selected by God to lead the people (yes for the plan for his life), but as important based on the love he had for his people. And to think Moses just found out he was a Hebrew after all from a baby he was raise by the Pharaoh’s daughter as Prince of Egypt, but when God called Moses I believe his heart changed. We can never do the will of God in our lives if we have not had a change of heart. Our heart must not be hardened, but soft and open to the LORD to hear His voice. A soft heart of compassion and service is what we must have for God to be able to call us and then for us to answer the call. Many people never hear God’s call for their life because their heart has been hardened by hardships and situations in their lives God is using to qualify or approve them for service. Worse many Christians hearts have been hardened by the world they watch TV programs (we all have our favorite programs), read things, believe things that are contrary to what God has said thus hardening their hearts to what God desires for their lives. You know I find it amazing God seldom comes down to the earth in the physical, but almost always sends someone like Moses or an Abraham to do what needs to be done. The Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. . . . . ” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Again the condition to be used by God was not our ability but a “heart which is perfect toward him.” There is a spiritual principle that says it does not matter what we do for God, but what matters (in God’s eyes) is how we do it. Do we do things (even for God) for the right reason and with the right motives?
Also in Moses preparation God honoured His word. God always honors His word, but it is in His time as we see in verse 23, “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) God’s word is God’s not man’s. Man cannot honor God’s word even though we think we can. I cannot speak for God I can only speak what God has said. A good pastor friend of my asked me one day how many people I have saved and I foolishly replied maybe 1,000 and he said really you saved someone? My friend we cannot save anybody, we cannot heal anybody the best we can ever hope for in God is to be a servant and vessel of God for what He has asked us to do. Here Moses was selected (yes again God’s plan) based not on Moses, but on the covenant God had with man. Moses writes, “and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” I wonder if the word “remembered” means He forgot for a time? To be honest I do not know probably not, but if it does that must be okay because God is God and He can do whatsoever He desires to do. The bottom line is God had a time in mind that His people would be freed and not one second sooner. So too in our lives God has a covenant with us and we must never forget God has a plan for us just like Moses the question is not what is the plan, but what is the condition of our heart?
Next month we will continue to look at Moses and at his initial attempt to deliver God’s people. Can you hear Him now?
