Tues.’s Devo - Moses’ Commission

Read: Exodus 2:11-3:22; Matthew 17:10-27; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 5:7-14 Moses grew up. One day he went to see his Hebrew people and saw how they were being oppressed. He witnessed an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew and when no one was looking, he killed them Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. He came back the next day and tried to settle an argument between two Hebrews. They asked him if he was going to kill them like he had killed the Egyptian the day before. Moses realized that his secret was out and would surely reach the palace. He had to flee for his life to the land of Midian. When he arrived in Midian he went and sat beside a well. The priest of Midian had seven daughters who came to draw water from the well. Moses defended them against the other shepherds and helped them water their flocks. Their father found out what Moses had done and sent for him. To thank him, he gave Moses his daughter, Zipporah to be his wife. She bore him a son named Gershom. Gershom means “a desperate stranger” which was how he felt. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh died and the children of Israel cried out to God because of their slavery and bondage. God heard their cries and spoke to Moses out of a burning bush that refused to burn up. He told him that the ground he was standing on was holy and that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He had seen the affliction of his people in Egypt and had come down to save them and bring them to a new land of milk and honey. It was the land that was now occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites. God wanted Moses to go back to Egypt to bring them out and serve Him on the very mountain he was standing on. Moses asked God what his name was so he could tell the people who had sent him. God said that his name was I AM THAT I AM. Moses was to gather all of their leaders together and and tell them all of this. Together, they were to go to the king of Egypt and tell him that their God had spoken to them and had instructed them to travel three days out of Egypt to sacrifice to their God. God told Moses that the king would not let them go so He would stretch out his hand and smite Egypt with his wonders and then he would let them go. When they left, they were to borrow their neighbors jewels of silver, gold and clothing. They were to put these things on their sons and daughters and spoil Egypt. We have read this a hundred times so it is just a story to us, but can you imagine how that strategy must have sounded to Moses? Crazy! In Matthew, the disciples questions the prophecy about Elijah coming to earth before the Messiah would come. What they were really saying was…if you are the Messiah, where is Elijah? Jesus explained that Elijah’s spirit came in John the Baptist. A man came to Jesus and knelt at his feet begging Jesus to deliver his son from demons. The disciples had tried to but couldn’t. Jesus cast out the demon and the boy was healed. When the disciples asked him why they couldn’t do it, Jesus replied that they didn’t have faith. All it takes is a little faith to do something incredibly big. Jesus was saying this so they would remember that when he was gone. Next, we have the bit about the tax. Jesus was trying to teach Peter a much deeper meaning. Because we are a citizen of earth, we have to obey its laws so we don’t offend the name of Christ, but we are really citizen’s of heaven where everything is free. Jesus proved this by letting Peter get the tax from the mouth of the fish - it cost him nothing. Lord, help us to live on this earth with our mindset in heaven. May we walk in faith and do the works of Christ.