As we talked about in class last night, there was a lot going on in Exodus 2. Moses was born and hidden by his parents to protect him from the king’s order to kill all Hebrew male babies. When they could no longer hide the baby, they placed him in a waterproof basket and floating him down the river with his sister as guardian. He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter who took pity on him (“her heart went out to him” in The Message) and she decided to keep him. His sister volunteered to find the child a Hebrew nurse, and so Moses was taken home to be raised by his own mother. When the child was older, he went to live at Pharaoh’s court as a prince of Egypt.
But Exodus 2 is only getting warmed up at this point. Moses grows up and comes to identify with his Hebrew people rather than the Egyptians. This comes to a climax when he killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. But while he identifies with the Hebrews, they don’t identity with him. This murder forces him to get out of Egypt one step ahead of the possee. He runs to Midian where he rescues a fair damsel at a well, becomes a shepherd, marries the fair damsel and settles down to raise his family and his sheep for the next 40 years.
OK, this is 80 years in the life of one of the most important men of history compacted into less than one chapter in the Bible. And that chapter isn’t quite over. There is this statement made at the end of Exodus 2—
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (2:23-25)That is the first mention of God in the story of Moses. Up to this point, Moses’ life has been about human plans (a baby in a basket) and human activity (killing of the Egyptian). God has not been mentioned, but he has been there in the background, quietly writing the the story. Coincidence after coincidence moves the story of Moses along, but coincidence is not really coincidence. God is as present in the first part of Moses' story as he will be later in the burning bush. The God who quietly watches over the baby in the basket is just as sovereign over Moses' story as the God who huffs and puff and blows back the Red Sea.
You and I may at time long for a burning bush. We may even want God to smite a few people with plagues. We want God to act in such obvious ways that all around us respond with the Egyptian magicians, “This is the finger of God” (Ex 8:18). God may still do those things today; He certainly doesn’t need our approval to work miracles. But for the most part the finger of God in our lives is much more quiet and subtle. We are like the baby in the basket, trusting God to work in the circumstances and coincidences of life in powerful and surprising ways. But like the baby in the basket, our story is nonetheless being written by the all-powerful finger of God.
3 comments:
Wow. . . the story really came alive and points toward our relationship with God today.
Our place; it is in his service, under his wing even unto death where we are safe and secure from all alarm. As we seek to serve him by serving those who will know him, Let’s remember that he knows our every thought, every motive and every need. Pray to him and welcome him in and he will wash your soul, his blessings are conditional. . . be obedient, do his will first and foremost, as you care for yourselves care for others. Know that he will give us what we need, even when we are in our darkest hour. Say away from idolatry, remove yourself from it. Do not practice it or support it and it will eventually fall away from you. Learn from the mistakes of the past and don’t repeat them.
Great words Tuck! We're not going to hear God if we're not listening, and not going to see his often subtle good works in our lives if we're not actively looking for them.
For me it was a struggle until I began to think about all the blessings we saw in our move to Virginia...Denbigh, the friendships we made, and our house just to name a few. We got outbid on three houses in a tough market, which was very discouraging as first time homebuyers. Then on a whim we asked the man renting the home across from the Brown's if he was interested in selling. At first it was no, then he changed his mind. I am 100% convinced that was God working for us because out of that frustrating situation came a wonderful friendship (and a place for us to offload Haley when we went out of town).
I am not perfect in always looking for God's finger in my life, but I see much more of his work in the small things now. Hindsight is a great thing if we'll take advantage of it.
I will quote from a good book. I can’t remember where this is in the book or which book it is written in, or how I came to hear it for the first time. Or how I could find it’s location if I had to without the esword search engine (it would take me forever). I just know that it is true and I believe it with all my mind, heart and soul. I am 100 percent sure that I know it is true. Here is the quote, “ALL THINGS WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE THE LORD.”
Bad stuff happens, like what happened to Joseph when his brothers sold him out, because they didn’t like all the attention he was getting from ‘dear old dad’. It worked for his good, even though it was a terrible and hurtful thing that his brothers did to him and his father. Those brothers who hatted him and wanted to, and would most likely have killed Joseph, had they not been able to make a buck from selling him to those who sell humans as slaves. It worked toward Egypt being blessed by God through Joseph, he (like all of us have) had God given talents, intellect and wisdom and he was being blessed by the Lord and was able to help save his people, people who would have perished had it not been for God working through his servant Joseph who God lifted up. Joseph was holy and wise he showed his brothers what they had done, teaching them as he showed them mercy, while remaining in control. Surely many have been overcome with great emotion during similar events and they understand that there is sometimes a need to lower the veil and turn away at such times and cry out to God for wisdom and self restraint. It was a great lesson. So it was written, for our learning, that we might get a glimpse at the works of God that yet works today as it relates to us and our daily dealings in God’s perfecting way.
The story and other bible stories are told again and again and we can learn so much from listening to well studied, wise and talented men like Tuck telling them (often they catch stuff and help us see those hidden things as they are brought into view). If they will take the time to tell them I and others will take the time to listen. Who needs all the reruns and junk when, we’ve got Tuck’s blog.? Tuck, “Good words” (and your good work comes from them.)
I am sure, when good things happen good people give thanks to God and when bad things happen let us see to it that good things be found where they can be found, giving thanks to God for them and all the good that will come of it, even if the only good thing that can be found is patients and long suffering (amen?) “Secure yourself; secure your heart, mind and soul and secure the future for future generations to come.” Thanks for all the good conversation, I am learning a lot from you people.
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