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Greater by Elevation Worship
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First passage today
Genesis 2 KJV”11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? 19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.”
Healing and Discipleship 
Good morning! Quite a storm last night. Praise God for His protection.
Good morning. Yes it was, we are thankful for His protection also.
Wendy
I find it so fascinating that Moses already had a burden regarding his people even while he was a “prince” of Egypt, but he lacked the wisdom of how to express it in a godly way. This murder of the Egyptian in a way reminds me of Abraham and Sarah’s Ishmael.
Galatians 4:29 New Living Translation (NLT) “29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.”
So thankful for the Grace that brings to us the Wisdom of God without limit to those seeking to express ourselves in Godly ways!
The first thing that occurred to me in this passage Was the fact that Moses looked about before slaying the Egyptian. The scripture ‘Be sure your sin will find you out” came to mind. There was a likely purifying of his spirit before he was to become a deliverer for Israel.KC
yes Good morning all…On our way back from a beautiful walk along the Eco trail in Dorchester. Thankful to get out in nature!
KC
All of creation is so soothing as it ministers to us on such a deep level. As if it is whispering… somethings don’t change and remain the same.
Excellent point… He totally knew it was wrong and was gaging if he could “get away” with it.
Good morning!
Rob
Just thinking that as this drama was playing out and he was hit with the emotions of a fugitive etc.. how easily he could have slipped into feeling sorry for himself or believing that God’s hand was not on his life at all. I find it fascinating how messy and not neat and tidy the lives of the great Bible heroes actually were.
2 Cor 4:7 Amp But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.
Rob
Amen!
Yes I often think about that, how not many of them were that exemplary in their lives, but God used them and purified them in the process. It always has given me hope that He uses imperfect vessels, even me.
Wendy
Also interesting how this one event flipped Mose from a position of comfort and excess to fugitive. This light switch change also reminds me of the reversal of “fortune” that Joseph went through. Going from being the favourted son to being a slave in one fell blow. Are we prepared for such things in our own lives?
In a way, I think God prepares us.
Rob
I believe we may well likely be in this kind of season right now. Moses had to learn to live in the wilderness and in a lifestyle that was completely unfamiliar to him and yet God gave him these 40 years to learn to grow in both wisdom and experiential knowledge of wilderness living and yet in a format that was much more comfortable than having to learn the ropes on his own. Mentorship is a big deal
One thing I’m convinced of in these current times and seeks nag to connect the spiritual dots is if we are not prepared( and I doubt I am personally) He is granting us a time and opportunity to become prepared so I am compelled to seek Him with my whole heart! KC
Another detail that jumps out was that the doorway to favour was opened when Moses served the daughters of Jethro by watering their herd. Interesting theme.. The same way that Rebecah caught the eye of of the servant sent to find a wife for Isaac. Having a servant’s heart seems to be deeply connected with the favour of God on a person’s life.
Amen to that!!
Rob
I noticed this too that in ‘rescuing’ these woman’s from the shepherds it doesn’t mention any violence on Moses part and he followed with an act of kindness and Service. Indicates to me God was working humility within him and changing any angry or knee jerk reactions when witnessing injustice of some kind. KC
next passage Exodus 2 KJV “22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. 23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.”
For the sake of the covenants made with the patriarchs, God was looking out for the Israelites and He is looking out for us too.
Galatians 3:28-29 World English Bible (WEB) “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.” Seriously, we are heirs to this same covenant that brought the Lord to respond to their groanings and sufferings. Understanding covenant has been a big deal in my own walk of late.
I agree!! We have been grafted in.
Rob
Next passage “Exodus 3 King James Version (KJV) 3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”
Again this seem of serving jumps off the page to me. He served his father in law as a shepherd… the little detail that it was in the “backside” of the desert that he encounters God is interesting too. Makes me wonder if I have actually missed some “burning bushes” in my preoccupation with life and the daily to do lists that run through my mind from the moment I wake up.
Yes I feel this serving thing is a big deal to God, John12:26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him. In our culture today serving is pretty maligned and treated with suspicion. It is a self-serving society and maybe with this virus that may change somewhat, but it will be interesting to see what happens.
Wendy
Major wake up call. We watched a video by a man running for the senate in the states. He was talking about how only healthy / working people will stand up and fight for freedom and truth. Those who would rather sit around and be entertained at someone else’s expense rarely fight for anyone. Those who lack strength due to lack of health often simply don’t have the motivation to fight for anything. It was an interesting watch.
7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”
“my people” jumps out at me.This was a relationship.
Rob
Amen.. that intimacty in love is amazing especially as they were not walking in reverence or holding up their end of the covenant at this time. NIV “2 Timothy 2:11-13 11Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
Psalm 89:34 “King James Version “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”
What an interesting bio Moses had. First home with his family and learning of the Israelite beliefs, than as an Egyptian royal in the house of Pharoah, steeped in the gods and lore of that nation. And now into the household of a Pagan priest. And yet somehow not confused or confounded or lost. If we heard someone with this kind of background we might gasp and be shocked and want to enroll them instantly in an inner healing ministry to get all the inner wounds healed and to deliver them from all the junk that must have come in… and yet there is no mention of Moses ever needing this kind of ministry. This is a very interesting detail. Reminds me of “who the Son sets free is free in deed”.
I agree Lisa! An astute observation about how He was led into a future with God without limitations tied to his complicated past! KC
Yes he didn’t seem to “blame” anyone or his past for what he felt his shortcoming were. Even though he did not feel capable and certainly told God all that, he never blamed anything or anyone else. Interesting lesson for us today, with how the culture is so quick to blame and give excuse for everything that is wrong.
Wendy
Psalm 56:8 KJV “8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” Self pity tells us that God doesn’t care or doesn’t know or is oblivious to our struggles. These verses are so assuring that He absolutely knows and is keeping track. We matter immensely to God
I wonder if they had not cried out how much longer it would have been before they were brought to the forefront of God’s mind or thinking?
Wendy
Ezekiel 9:4 “New American Standard Bible “The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”
There is a biblical groaning/grieving that marks us with God’s favour.
They cried out ‘ by reason of their bondage’ . In this current North Americans culture how many people realize the bondages they are in.? God reveal this reality to your people that we WOULD cry out… for You are responsive when we sincerely seek You as our rescuer. Let this time of people feeling in ‘bondage’ without the freedoms usually enjoyed and taken for granted turn eyes and hearts towards You! KC
A wholehearted Amen to that Karen!
Wendy
Next passage “8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” Exodus 3 KJV
Vs 8 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand (power) of the Egyptians,
Vs 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”
God is doing this but He is sending Moses as His messenger or “Ambassador”.
Rob
Matthew 9:37-38 New Living Translation (NLT)
37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Isaiah 52:7 NIV ” 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
I have been thinking about Moses’ role as deliverer (a type and shadow of Jesus). Our deliverer is returning soon(er) or soon… I am almost positive in the lifetime of my children if not mine and if not in the next days or years. These groaning and tribulations can seem far less fearful and stressful if we can embrace them as labour pains and recognize the authority and blessings on our lives to live through them both blessed, and protected and a position to impact the nations and people that surround us. We can truly do all things in Christ who strengthens us. As in no other season of my life, I am reminded to be a city on a hill, a beacon of light in the darkness. It is the perfect time to sow abundant gifts. I was talking to my sister in law about how the Compassion families and children are faring in all of this. And it is really bad. they are don’t have food stores and many are dying and cut off from help. We read the verses about the sorting of the goats and the sheep. There is not greater time to sow than in the times of greatest needs.
“A land flowing with milk and honey”… This reminds me of Psalm 65, especially in the NLT. Freedom is not living in sparcity and slavery.. it is a place of abundance and joy.. submission and fear of the Lord usher in true freedom and true peace. There is simply no other way to enter into true abundance. Every other form of wealth is like a mist that you can wake up and it can all have passed away. The stock market dip is a recent example of how unreliable treasures store up in heaven really are.
That reminds me of the parable of the hidden treasure in the field where you sell all for that pearl of great price.
Wendy
Amen
We know WHO the oppressor is and those who have aligned themselves with the defeated foe it the land of promise where Gods people were to settle and live required them to rise up and rid the land of all these ‘ites’. God did not do that sovereignly. They did it with violence physically and it will be spiritually violent, intense people now to do the same . Show us Lord what that looks like as we go through these times!
KC
Amen! Love you all. We joyfully welcome Passover this evening. Blessings to you all
Wendy
Blessings all, In Christ love. Yes. Looking forward to sharing in the Lord’s table today and in meditating on all of the significance to the passover meal and tradtiions.
Blessings as we honour Him in the Passover and communion tonight!KC
Praise the Lord! Yes. We might still to a seder to go over the prophetic elements. We don’t have lamb though… Still working that one out.