Hands down, one of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Moses. I get excited just thinking about it. This story is paramount to the Jewish faith and for good reason. It is always referred to, and certain passages recited on Jewish feasts, holy days etc. It's pretty important, and is the ultimate story revealing the protection, faithfulness and the mercy of God. Throughout the story, God is using Moses not only to encourage the Israelites and build their faith, but to reach the Babylonians and show them who God is. He doesn't have mercy on Pharoah and his army. We can assume they were beyond his grace at the point they died in the sea. I recommend reading the story for yourself here: Exodus 3 through 20:25
http://www.timberlinechurch.org/listen-watch/weekend
Additionally fitting, this song Future/Past by John Mark Mcmillon
End note: Moses and the Exodus are the past, but I think they are a foreshadow of our present and future, as we see Revelation playing out in our lives right NOW! It is important to realize that even the prophets, speaking the very words of God didn't know exactly how things would look when they came to pass. The major prophesies they prophesied didn't even come to pass in their lifetimes. Many of them still haven't come to pass! God only reveals as much as he wants to reveal and sometimes we just have to wait in faith until their revealing.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3
Jewish people tend to think their Messiah will be much like Moses, an annointed man of God who will lead them to safety, out of persecution and into a time of peace in the Millennial age. They think the entire world will be led to the truth of the one true God, and we will all worship him in peace and harmony. Sounds pretty good right? There's one problem with this though, it's already been done! See, they don't think their messiah will be a divine being. They don't think he will be the son of God, or God himself. Just another man anointed by God, like Moses. Look at the state of the world today. If what Moses accomplished had lasted, we wouldn't be in the state of darkness, violence, corruption and evil we're in today. Even the Isaelites who were lead out of Egypt, who witnessed miracles from God, the parting of the sea, the love of God through his plagues (they were protected), they even heard Him speak (they were so terrified, they elected Moses to be the official interceder between them and God). Even after all of this, they couldn't just believe God and follow his instructions and commandments. If even the Isrealites couldn't do as God commands, how could anyone?
Jewish people tend to think their Messiah will be much like Moses, an annointed man of God who will lead them to safety, out of persecution and into a time of peace in the Millennial age. They think the entire world will be led to the truth of the one true God, and we will all worship him in peace and harmony. Sounds pretty good right? There's one problem with this though, it's already been done! See, they don't think their messiah will be a divine being. They don't think he will be the son of God, or God himself. Just another man anointed by God, like Moses. Look at the state of the world today. If what Moses accomplished had lasted, we wouldn't be in the state of darkness, violence, corruption and evil we're in today. Even the Isaelites who were lead out of Egypt, who witnessed miracles from God, the parting of the sea, the love of God through his plagues (they were protected), they even heard Him speak (they were so terrified, they elected Moses to be the official interceder between them and God). Even after all of this, they couldn't just believe God and follow his instructions and commandments. If even the Isrealites couldn't do as God commands, how could anyone?
This brings us to Jesus, the messiah they missed. You see, the Jews were anticipating something/someone different than Jesus when he came. The people relied on the priests and pharisees to determine what qualities to look for and expect in a messiah. They had preconceived notions about what the prophets had alluded to in their fortellings of the messiah. This is never good because God's ways aren't man's ways. His thoughts aren't our thoughts. His clues and our interpretations don't always intersect. Entertaining different possibilities and perspectives on His word is a GOOD idea. We have to be open, awake, and listening for the voice of God to understand moment to moment. We can't rely on the higher ups, the priests and "pharisees" to interpret God for us. I love many of our preachers today, but I don't get caught up in one way of thinking. God will always be ten steps ahead of our thinking. Jesus wasn't a military man leading Jews out of persecution, saving them from their enemy (the Roman Empire), leading them to peace in the natural world and reigning as thier physical king. He was the ultimate sacrificial lamb, atoning for the sins of humanity, leading us out of darkness and the clutches of the enemy (the devil), sending his holy spirit to be our peace and ruling over the entire heavenly realm (there's more going on in the spiritual realm than we realize) as King of Kings, not just King of the Jews. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophesies the first time around, and he will fulfill the rest the second time. See how wild God is? He's insanely genius, and He will return... but probably not as we expect;-). So let's be on our toes with anticipation and open to the brilliant manifestations and workings of God.
The sermon at my church last weekend was really good and pertains to the Moses story, expecting the unexpected and listening for God... It's the one from 8.02.15 entitled Joshua. NOT the first one that pops up (Coming Home-which was by a newbie intern guy).
http://www.timberlinechurch.org/listen-watch/weekend
Additionally fitting, this song Future/Past by John Mark Mcmillon
End note: Moses and the Exodus are the past, but I think they are a foreshadow of our present and future, as we see Revelation playing out in our lives right NOW! It is important to realize that even the prophets, speaking the very words of God didn't know exactly how things would look when they came to pass. The major prophesies they prophesied didn't even come to pass in their lifetimes. Many of them still haven't come to pass! God only reveals as much as he wants to reveal and sometimes we just have to wait in faith until their revealing.
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