Exodus

March 7, 2005

We took an overview of the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, Saturday night at Genesis. (Attendance at Genesis has been excellent!) I was reminded of several guideposts of faith from that great book.

1. When God calls, He empowers for the calling. Moses was at first a reluctant leader. When God called Moses from the burning bush, Moses offered every excuse that came to mind. However, where Moses was weak, God had strengths to offset human frailty. He still calls us to serve him, imperfect as we are.

2. God has a plan for us from our birth. Moses was God-prepared for the task.
· The first 40 years of his life, Moses was the adopted son a Pharoah, learning the inner working of the Egyptian government. (That knowledge was essential when Moses demanded that Pharoah “Let my people go.”)
· The second 40 years of Moses life, he was a shepherd on the back side of the desert, learning wilderness survival skills that were critical for the exodus. Surely, Moses must have felt he was a failure during what appeared the low point of his life. Yet, God is working through our failures to prepare us for the rest of our life mission.
· The last 40 years of Moses life, he led the children of Israel from slavery to the edge of the Promised Land.

3. God expects leaders to lead. Moses often experienced criticism, whining, and second guessing from those he was called to lead. God said, (my paraphrase) “Moses, don’t take it personally. They are not whining at you; they are whining at me.” That whining costs many their lives! God upsets our comfort zone to move us toward the land of promise. With all his faults, Moses never stopped leading, whether his people were of a mind to follow or not.

4. Where there is no vision, the people perish. Moses knew where God’s vision was leading. When the Israelites arrived the first time at Kadesh-barnea, they could have immediately entered the Promised Land. Instead, they sent out spies, took a vote, and disobeyed God. The result: they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, a whole generation died off, and they came right back to Kadesh-barnea where they had been 40 years earlier. What a waste of time and opportunity. When God says “Go”, we need not take a vote to see if the command is prudent.

Ironically, we will soon have a fourth congregation share our facilities beginning March 20. Their name: EXODUS Baptist Church (SBC). This predominantly African-American congregation of about 125 members will conduct Bible study and worship between 7:30 and 10:30 Sunday mornings. Please join me in making our new friends feel welcome at 33rd and Meade.

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