February 2006

“TRIED BY THE WORD”

A prophetic Word for 2006

Part Four

“Until the time when His Word came to pass,
THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED HIM!”

(Ps 105:19)

            As it took 30 years in relative seclusion to prepare Jesus for 3 years of public ministry; so Moses also underwent secret preparation. For 40 years God trained him, right in Pharaoh’s court! When he was ready for the next phase of his training, an event forced him to flee Pharaoh’s wrath into the wilderness of Midian where he worked as a shepherd for another 40 years. The prominent ministry God would accomplish in the last 40 years of Moses’ life, took 80 years of preparation! God would use this human instrument to free His people from Egypt after 400 years of bondage!!
             The reasoning of ensuing pharaohs for enslaving the Hebrews was that they were unusually prolific and increased in numbers at an alarming rate. It was feared that they might overthrow the Egyptian government. But, as always, the natural man underestimates God for:

“The more the children of Israel were afflicted,
the more they multiplied and grew!” (Ex 1:13)

God worked this miracle of delivering His people in ten (10 = the law) spectacular displays of His power; but mercifully withholding their effects from Goshen where the Hebrews lived--for it was this place that Joseph- second in power to the then-ruling pharaoh, established as a safe haven for his people during the 7 year famine. His foresighted provision now spared all his descendants from suffering those plagues of: water turning to blood, lice, pestilence, boils, hail burning as fire, locusts, and terrible darkness covering all Egypt- except the land of Goshen where there was light! (Ex 10:23) God also exempted His people from the final plague of death that struck all the firstborn males of Egypt! This was surely Divine Reparation for those firstborn sons of Israel that were slain by a previous pharaoh in a vain effort to prevent the birth of the long-foretold “deliverer” of Israel! Yet 80 years later, after a delicious show of holy irony- sparing the life of His chosen one, then setting him right under pharaoh’s nose to be given a royal upbringing befitting a manchild of God, He would send Moses to confront his successor and do exactly what he was prophesied to do---namely, set all the captives free! So this ministry that began in the highest courts of Egypt; and then descended into the lowest slopes of Horeb; ended up on the highest peaks of Sinai, to receive not one, but two complete sets of Ten Commandments written by the fiery finger of God!
             This account of Moses is a perfect illustration of the “Word of the Lord” trying a man until the Word is ready to “come to pass”! The child, Moses, was unaware of the high calling on his life as he grew up amidst the royalty of Egypt. The man, Moses, was unaware of his high calling as his flight from Pharaoh’s wrath led him to marry a shepherd’s daughter and have a son. Then one day he was drawn to that confrontation with the consuming Fire of God enthroned on a burning bush!
             In the same way, the man, Abram, was not aware of his high calling to become “Abraham”, the symbolic sire of all men’s faith! Likewise the man, Jacob, was not aware of his high calling to become “Israel”, the father of many nations, and symbolic son of God. Nor was fisherman Simon aware of his high calling to become “Peter” the apostle, writer of epistles, worker of miracles, and martyr for Christ. Nor was Saul, the persecutor of the church, aware of his high calling to become “Paul”, the greatest of Christ’s apostles, writer of most of the New Testament, worker of miracles, protector and instructor of the church, and martyr for Christ. So we must never despise the humble beginnings of a man’s life, for only God knows what greatness He has predestinated for that life!

[TO BE CONTINUED]