Doing the Seder over Lent inspired me to re-read Exodus and
insert myself into the story. Who am I in Exodus and how are features of that
story evident today, in the Christian community as well as in my own life. Over
the past week I have had three opportunities to share some of the things God
has been showing me through Exodus, so I thought it would be nice to share a
few things with you as well.
In this allegorical Exodus here are the players:
Pharaoh = Satan
Moses = A believer with a burden
Israelites = A believer and his walk of faith
Exodus 1:8-14
“And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel
are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with
them’…Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy
burdens…But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied…And the
Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel…In all their work they
ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”
Satan is in dread of us, he doesn’t afflict us with heavy burdens
because he is mightier, rather because he is in dread of us. He deals shrewdly
with us because he knows that we are too many and too mighty for him. Satan
knows that because of Christ’s sacrifice, we have freedom, but he is still dealing shrewdly with us and ruthlessly trying to make us work as slaves to our
sin.
(This also made me think about the churches around the world
that experience persecution, they multiply.)
Exodus 2:23-25 & 3:2-4
“the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and
cried out for help…And God heard their groaning…God saw the people of Israel –
and God knew…the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Moses) in a flame of fire
out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it
was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great
sight’…When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of
the bush…”
The Israelites called out to God, He heard them, and 2
verses later Moses sees the burning bush. Sometimes we cry out to God, He hears
us, but we don’t see immediate results. In Exodus the Israelites didn’t see God
calling Moses, convincing him, leading him, and bringing him to the Israelites
rescue. For all they knew, God wasn't doing anything.
God could have acted immediately, we’ve seen Him wipe out entire peoples (you know, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah…) with His mighty hand. But, I think God’s preferred method is to use people. When people are involved, things can move a bit slower than if God just did it all on His own. He could have wiped out the Egyptians (He even says so in Exodus 9:15), instead He was patient, He was even humble, He chose to work through a man. God is not slow, He limits himself by people.
God could have acted immediately, we’ve seen Him wipe out entire peoples (you know, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah…) with His mighty hand. But, I think God’s preferred method is to use people. When people are involved, things can move a bit slower than if God just did it all on His own. He could have wiped out the Egyptians (He even says so in Exodus 9:15), instead He was patient, He was even humble, He chose to work through a man. God is not slow, He limits himself by people.
Exodus 3:5-22 & 4:1-17
This whole section is a back and forth between God and
Moses. God tells Moses His plan. Moses says they won’t believe him. God gives
Moses signs in order to convince the Israelites. Moses says He can’t speak
well. God says, “I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak”.
Moses says, “please send someone else”. God gives Moses Aaron as a helper.
Yes, God gets frustrated and even angry with Moses over this
interaction, but the thing that really stood out to me is that in that anger He
responds with grace. At every objection God doesn’t say, “that isn’t worth worrying
about” rather, He provides for that need. He doesn’t cut Moses off from his
calling because he doesn’t respond in faith, He enables Moses to do it and
encourages his faith. When He chastises Moses, He also responds by providing
for the need. Even when God is frustrated with us, He will provide and care for
us. Our needs, worries, and lack of faith don’t make Him distance himself from
us or cut us off.
Exodus 4:29-31 & 5 & 6:1-13
“Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders
of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to
Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed…”
Signs and miracles really help us believe. God proved
himself to the Israelites through miraculous signs and they believed. God also
proves himself to us through miraculous signs. This part really resonates with
some experiences that I have had in the past year.
But,
Signs don’t necessarily sustain faith when trials come. When
faith and belief are rising Satan will attack them. He doesn’t want to lose
whatever ground he has gained in your life. Every Christian is growing in some
area, God has probably proved himself to you in that area…but then it comes
under attack. How do we respond when the attack comes? Well, the Israelites
lost faith and accused Moses and God. Have you ever done the same thing?
How does God respond to the Israelites and Moses? He reminds
them. The first half of Chapter 6 is God reminding Moses of who He is and what He
has promised. I find it interesting that God doesn’t send additional miraculous
signs to “re-prove” himself, He just reminds them. Remembering is such an
important part of our Christian walk. Are we focusing on the oppositions in our
lives and the trials? Or, are we focusing on what God has said He will do. If
we take a step in faith towards the freedom God offers us and meet greater
difficulties, do we turn around and say, “God must not really mean that we have
that freedom”? Satan uses our circumstances to deal shrewdly with us, keeping
us in doubt of the freedom that God offers us. We must remember. Remember what
God has done in your life. Remember what He has done in others' lives. Remember
what the Bible says about Him. Remember especially what He says about himself.
There are several other really cool things that I’ve seen in
Exodus. I just mentioned a couple. In leading this as a devotional over the
past week I’ve gotten even more out of it by hearing what others see. I’d love
to hear what God reveals to you through putting yourself into this story.
