The call to Moses

Sermon notes from Tuesday 29 October 2019 Prayer Meeting

Exodus 4 verses 10 - 13

Thinking of Moses at this point in his life.  A man of some 80 years of age.  He had spent 40 years in Egypt and now he is in the wilderness.  The Lord has separated this day from any other day.  He had never experienced anything like this before.  Like Lydia when she left all aside on the Sabbath day.  She was a religious lady.  She set everything aside to be where the women gathered to pray.  She had a desire to be there.  Nothing else in her mind that day.  The most important thing in her mind as she went to that prayer meeting.  She met with God.  We can sit in all the meetings we want, listen to the greatest preachers, hear the best testimonies but what we really need is an individual word from the Lord.  For 40 years he had been minding the sheep.  Every day he took them up to new pastures, guarding them against the enemy, then one day he meets with God.  This day turns out different.  We long for something different in our prayer time.  We all need an individual meeting with God.  That God would come with real freshness to us.  That is all we need in this day and age.  40 years of reflection.  When he made that mistake all those years ago 40 years he has reflected on it.  No doubt the devil told him he was a failure.  The devil shows us all our failures.  When we don`t do what God asks us to do the devil throws it up time and time again.  He is called "the accuser of the brethren." (Revelation 12 verse 10)  Hypocrites he calls us  He is best at doing that.  The testimony of the rod last week - what is that in your hands - it is a rod - God showed him what he would do with it.  The secrecy of the rod, the surrender of the rod.  It has to be cast down before anything could happen to it.  The sufficiency of the rod. 

Through it all we come to the rest of Moses` response.  Want to see what he is really made of.  Moses comes under challenging view of God.  He sees the burning bush that never goes out.  Moses steps aside to see this.  God speaks to him out of the bush.  Now under the attention of God`s word.  It searched Moses` heart.  We should always allow the word of God to search out hearts.  God`s word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path.(Psalm 119 verse 105)  It pierces and divides into our hearts.(Hebrews 4 verse 12) Moses also listened intently to what God had to say to him.  God would take this shepherd of the desert and restore unto him the years that the locusts had eaten.(Joel 2 verse 25)  He would send him back to Egypt.  God doesn`t turn his back on us.  He is the God of the second chance.  Jesus singles out from the disciples to make sure Peter was told that he had risen again.  Moses standing at the burning bush he is searching out the word of God, taking everything God is saying to him.  He didn`t want to miss out on this second opportunity.  It is good to search the word of God, not merely reading it.  What does it mean to me?  The situation around me.  The people around me too.  Remember the Bereans in Acts 17.  Paul and the team had to flee for their lives from Thessalonica but when they came to Berea it says they "received the word of God and searched the word of God daily."  That word that is used "search the scriptures" means a forensic term.  The police use it when they come to a scene of crime - everything is sealed off, don`t plod in, everything is set aside and done meticulously, examined, tested.  There is another thought behind it - to interrogate.  These people they set everything else aside and listened to what the preacher said.  Examined every word he said and lined it up with the word of God.  That is where we need to be careful.  Bereans listened to everything Paul preached then took it home and searched it out for themselves.  Another thought of interrogation.  When stand in court barrister takes every word that is said and breaks it up, could it mean a totally different thing from what originally thought?  Moses was like that at the burning bush, taking every syllable in, did not want to miss out.  Verse 10 argument "I am not eloquent."  Verse 9 "they will not believe me."  Every argument he can use not to go.  Verse 13 "send someone else."  This could be used to searching the word of God.  God will challenge us about task we need to do for him, saying we are not able to speak then who would really believe me.  Before long we are saying send someone else to do it.  Moses listened well.  It would be difficult going back to the day where he failed God in the first place.  The devil was bring that before him.  The devil does that today.  They will not believe me, send someone else.  The argument he puts up.

The assurance he gets - verses 11 and 12.  "who hath made man`s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing or the blind? have not I the Lord?  Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say."  He was given assurance from the Lord himself.  Paul said to Timothy "everyone has left me but not the Lord.  He stood with me and strengthened me." (2 Timothy 4 verse 16)  Philippians 4 verse 19 "my God shall supply all your needs ."  That comes on the back of something.  There was a group of people in Philippi being faithful to Paul.  Sent him many gifts supporting him for the work and way of God.  Maybe sacrificially giving, leaving those with very little.  Maybe Paul understood couldn`t give as much as they are giving.  Paul receives it gratefully and he responds to them "my God shall supply all your need."  "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4 verse 13)  Moses asked for someone else to be sent.  2 Corinthians 9 Paul lived with a thorn in the flesh.  We don`t know what it really was.  Something that annoyed him, prayed a multitude of times "will you take this away Lord."  Yet the word came back I will not but my grace is sufficient.  Moses needed that same grace.  He didn`t need to argue with the Lord.  He couldn`t do it because the Lord would help him going with him.  Every task the Lord asks you and I he stands with us.  Even Daniel in the lions den God sent an angel.  Every place the Lord asks us to go he goes with us.  Sometimes when we go through the valley it is easy to forget the Lord is with us.

The answer that came - verse 14 "the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses."  The Lord was angry.  The Lord told Moses "you don`t need anyone else but as you requested Aaron will go with you."  At that point Moses missed the blessing of God because Aaron was the spokesperson before Pharaoh.