Greetings again my Brethren. Well the first month of 2020 is in the books and man is this world crazy and getting crazier. I find myself saying can things get any crazier? Well the answer to this question is yes, yes 1,000 times yes. Sometimes I am at a loss for words, yet within me is a hope for the future and a hope and prayer for my family and friends who do not know Jesus Christ as their saviour. All we can do is speak the truth in love and live a Godly life (to the best of our ability in God) before them and leave it all in God’s capable hands.
Okay let us get back to the LORD’s Call as we continue to look at the specifics and that which is emphasized in Revelation 3:20-22. as reminder here are the key verses: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelations 3:20-22) last month we looked at “my voice” or the recognition of God’s call as we looked at Samuel responding to Eli instead of God. How often we miss God’s call and respond to an earthly call or message. Now do not say you have never done this because we both know we have and that includes me too. But here in verse 20 we read, “my voice.”Here God is looking for a response from us in the hearing. Now let this thought sink deep into our spirit, neither hearing nor recognition are enough without a response. In Exodus when God called Moses into service we see this play out in Scripture beautifully. We read from Exodus 3:4, “And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place where on thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:4-6) Here God makes His approach to Moses (first) and then waits for a response. Then “the LORD saw that he turned aside to see.” I wonder what would have happened if Moses had not turned aside? I wonder what would have happened if God had to speak a second or third time to Moses to get his attention? But when Moses turned aside God spoke. When Moses stopped all of his running around and struggles God could get his attention. “Moses, Moses” and Moses replied, “Here am I.” Now God knew where Moses was, He did not need Moses to tell Him where he was. Something much more powerful was moving here than Moses letting God know where he was. When I minister in India I never wear shoes to church, usually slides or slippers and socks, because before you stand behind the pulpit or the desk you are to take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground behind the pulpit. I am not sure if this is true, but it is a custom the Indian pastors follow and I am not going to try to convert them against what they believe in this area, so be it. But here God was calling Moses into service for the rest of his life and then some. And God wanted to see if Moses would take up the call in obedience. Taking off one’s shoes expresses giving oneself entirely to the meaning of a place, concept, or service, to let our personality get its standing and take up its position entirely and directly on it without an intermediary. It is a sign of total surrender to one’s will and ownership to one’s self. And as a matter of fact, here God and Moses (according to Jewish customs and laws) was entering into a real estate deal. When a Jewish man buys land from another Jewish man the transaction in done is their bare feet. They take their shoes off signifying neither of the two will run out on the deal. But here God wanted Moses to take his shoes (sandals off) signifying he was committed to the deal. We see this also in Ruth, “And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 8Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.” (Ruth 4-6-8) Taking off one’s shoe, removing something that was part of the person and giving it to another, symbolically expressed ceding one’s right to ownership. The emphasis was on the act of concession. The act of removing the shoe was central, that of giving it to another.
Next month we will continue on in Revelation 3:20-22 and look at, “to sit me with me in my throne.” Do you hear Him calling? Please know God is calling. Walter Beuttler said if you build God a temple He will inhabit it. Have you built God a temple? If you do He will abide and wait for you.
Written By: David Stahl
