On Moses’
Calling (Exodus 3)
I am struck by the persistent claim by Moses of his incompetence,
coming up with all sorts of excuses. Yet, God's saving plan prevails. It is
amazing how much more persistent God is in saving His people and how He can
work through and around our incompetence, even when we don't trust Him.
-
Jeanne C
I've always questioned since I was little, why does God let people
suffer? All the war victims, the poor/homeless people, the refugees, etc.? If He
is almighty, why couldn't He save them all?
Then I read Exodus and I realized, maybe just like God sent Moses to
the people of Israel, He also sent His people to those in need, but unlike
Moses who kept finding excuses but ended up going anyway, we often make up
excuses and don't do anything.
Now I can only imagine how people are suffering and God's heart is
breaking seeing His children like that, but when He told us to do work for Him,
to help His people, we keep trying to find excuses not to go, and so those
people keep suffering and God's heart keeps breaking.
So I think it's a challenge for all of us on how we should keep
discerning His call on each of us, be more aware of our surroundings, and see
where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do for Him. He might need us
to save our brothers and sisters who need our help, so let's be aware and be
active. We have Friends of Refugees in STAY, we have Vinnies, and other
organizations in Melbourne as well, or we can even go overseas and help those
countries who need a lot of help. God is calling His people in different ways.
Sometimes maybe it's not even material needs, but spiritual needs. Maybe they
are searching for Jesus but they don't know how; maybe they're lonely and
yearning for God but they don't realize. Let's be more aware of our
surroundings and ask God what He wants from us, where He wants to send us. Just
like Moses, let's humbly say "here I am" when God calls our names and
let His will be done on us.
-
Mario WP
What I am finding about Exodus is that God want us, His children to
do well - to achieve the things we never thought we were capable of be it
physically but most especially spiritually. Despite all of Moses’ excuses, God
could have lost His patience and send someone else, but here we have a loving
God who is encouraging telling him that despite what Moses may think, He
chooses him because He believes in him. Despite Moses questioning God and
wanting signs, God agrees to give Moses signs to take back. I hope when God
calls me, I can learn to trust Him, His word, and not find a reason not to obey
His calling for my life. I am determined that His word is enough to question
him less and trust Him more because He is God.
-
Elizabeth E
I think of all the times we fall and why He picks us up and think
it's not a reflection of who we are, but a reflection of who He is!
-
Surath F
Hardening
Pharaoh’s Heart (Exodus 4:21)
As what Jeff Cavin’s said, the main issue was not getting the
Israelites out of Egypt, but more on getting "Egypt" out of Israel,
which is a much bigger problem as it is something that has already been deeply
ingrained in the Israelites.
And as God has brought forth each plague (as a result of pharaoh's
hardened heart), each plague has shown that YHWH is more powerful than the
corresponding Egyptian gods that each plague symbolises.
It's like God saying to His people that He is the one and only God.
-
Pat P
God hardening pharaoh’s heart was to deliberately show his power (as
opposed to the Egyptian gods).
-
Surath F
I reread the reason pharaoh’s heart was hardened by the Lord and
came up with the fact that God wanted to show, not just the Israelites who
their God was, but to ensure that all the Egyptians knew that it was the God of
Israel who was mightier than all the other Egyptian Gods.
-
Elizabeth E
God Tried to Kill Moses? (Exodus 4:24-26)
If we think of death as separation from God, and killing is putting
someone to death, then I'd say killing in there means separating Moses from God.
Moses' wife wasn't a Jew. When Moses came back to his family and told them
about all the things, I wouldn't think that his family would have just accepted
everything like that. Hence trying to kill Moses might mean Moses’ struggle not
to be separated from God by fighting with his wife. And finally Moses
prevailed. Her wife finally realized that his God was the true God, so her wife
circumcised the son to fulfil God's covenant with Israel.
-
Mario WP
The Lord trying to kill Moses is a strange episode. My bible (CTS
bible) has a comment saying that the original story may have had the attacker
as a demon and the episode with the circumcision was to legitimate Moses
marriage to a foreign woman.
-
Surath F
Like God wrestling with Jacob, God held Moses in a "death
grip" (hence the word “kill”). Moses, being raised up in an egyptian
household, is uncircumcised (although in some articles, because Jethro was
Midianite, they reckon he most probably circumcised Moses before marrying off
his daughter to him). But the Midianites don't circumcise infants and that
explains why Zipporah is so upset that she put the prepuce at his feet and said
the bloody expression. And she only did that because God held Moses on a death
grip. Basically, it shows the importance of circumcision as a sign of covenant
of God's people to Him.
-
Pat P
The Plagues (Exodus 7-11)
Reading through the plagues, I got so annoyed with pharaoh! I found
him so stubborn and so full of pride. Until I realised I'm actually no
different from him. Hit right in the core.
Although it makes me think - does the Lord
intentionally harden our hearts? Does He intentionally make my heart stubborn
so His will be done? Is He intentionally doing it for me to learn?
-
Pat P
In the context of pharaoh, yes! He hardened his heart and that played
a big part in the exodus. But with us, it comes to discernment. And that goes
hand in hand with prayer. Sometimes it's good to be stubborn. Other times no.
Prayer helps us discern. Or at least I think anyway.
-
Surath F
Instructions to Moses regarding the Tabernacle and its
Furnishings (Exodus 25)
Is it just me, or do you find Exodus 25-30 difficult to read as
well?
It's as if God has OCD too!
What amazes me was how Moses remembered all of those instructions
for 40 days and 40 nights. I mean, he could have at least written it somewhere
to remember all of it!
And here I am, struggling to remember even at least 10 bible verses.
-
Pat P
No distractions. I think Moses was less distracted than we can be.
-
Nicole C
It was because Moses had no distractions. His main purpose was to
glorify god, love god, and bring people to God. He put god first in everything
he did. And if you love someone that much, you want to remember everything
about the person.
-
Jess T
I guess it's like those times when you like someone and you remember
his/her every sentence, only this one was much deeper.
-
Mario WP
Building the Tabernacle (Exodus 36)
Reading chapter 36 about building tabernacle reminds me of FORM.
There are people who are willing to give the materials (donations),
there are people who are willing to use the materials and work from it (volunteers),
and all are done because God stirs our hearts. All is done in the name of God, which
is love.
He always provides, too much sometimes, that we had to reject some
donations.
And we're working to build a place to meet with God, so that the
refugees can see God through us and we can see God through them.
The tabernacle build by Moses might have been lost, but as we're
reading the verses now, I believe God is building more and more of his
tabernacle through the people whose hearts he stirred, just like FORM.
Different instructions, different forms, different people, but still
the same mystery, same miracles, and same providence as the Bible told us
It's really amazing when I think of it that way
Lately I've been hearing news of war and tragedy in Palestine, Iraq,
etc., which are quite discouraging to be honest. But I guess knowing that God
is working His way through this difficult time, even now, is giving me hope and
encouragement
It's not time to be discouraged. It’s time to let God stirs our
hearts to build his tabernacle, where we can meet him in the ministry that we
do.
-
Mario WP
I think God sometimes gives us instructions and tasks to do not just
for his glory but for us to have a sense of accomplishment and in order to use
our God given talents not just for us but to reach out to others as well.
-
Elizabeth E
The Tabernacle (Exodus 40)
The tabernacle was so holy that they need to tie a string in those
who went in, and they could only go in once a year! And see how lucky we are to
be able to have God right at our finger tips and yet we view the Eucharist as a
mere ritual.
A priest told me a few days ago, when you go for mass , you’re supposed
to put everything at the feet of the cross, all your worries, anxieties, and
give it up to Jesus, then only can you fully participate in the mass. How
important it is for us to prepare for it. Preparation is so important.
You can't cook without preparation, you can't have a shower without
preparing yourself. We need to prepare for our eternal journey with God. So the
next time you go for mass, go early and prepare your hearts.
-
Jess T
God made the tabernacle glorious according to man's standard, with
gold, silver, and bronze, and He told men to make it. Whereas in contrast, in
Jesus, it is truly the works of God and not of men, and He is glorious, not
according to men's standard but according to God. He didn't wear majestic
crown, no golden throne, and no expensive robe. Instead, he wore the crown of
thorns, crucified on the cross, and stripped naked like a criminal. But the beauty that He radiates is so amazing that we can still see
it now.
-
Mario WP
