The Life of Moses – By His Hand
Lesson 5 – By his Hand
Last lesson we saw Moses come to a crisis point where he made a decision. He did a great thing and chose God over power, prestige, privilege, the pleasure of sin, and money. Moses chose God over Egypt. That is a decision God asks us all to make. Do not serve two masters, you need to make a choice. We must live in the world but we are not to be of the world.
Joh_15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Our affections must not be on the world. We are to make the choice to seek those thinks which are above.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
The Bible tells us that we are to be obedient to His command and be holy.
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
I have said it many times. There is a BIG difference between should and have to. We get saved by grace and grace alone. It is by His mercy. Our works have zero to do with being saved. And just as we have a free will to get saved or not. After salvation we still have a free will to decide to choose God over the World. We each have the same decision facing us that Moses did. If we make the choice to live for the world, then we are still saved. Still going to heaven. There will be consequences to that decision in this life, but you cannot lose your salvation.
So Moses did right and chose God over Egypt. Moses now has to move out from that choice with action.
That is the same thing we all must do. Say you come to that decision point in your life and you make the right choice to put God over the World. That’s great. Now what? You have to move out from the decision into action. After the decision you need to look at your life and see what needs to go. Ask what things from the world am I putting over God? And then back up your decision with action.
And since you just decided to make God first, would it not make sense to get God involved in that process.
Should you not ask for His guidance and leadership? Should you not pray and ask God for wisdom and help. The question now must not be, what do I want to get rid of, or what do I think I need to change. The question needs to be God what would you have me to do.
What Moses did after he chose God over Egypt.
Let’s look at the example of what Moses did immediately after he chose God over Egypt. This is an example of what not to do.
Exo 2:11 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.
Exo 2:12 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.
Moses goes back out the second day and tries to correct the behavior of two Hebrews and it does not go well.
Exo 2:13 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?
Exo 2:14 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.
Exo 2:15 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.
Moses learns that Pharaoh finds out about it and so he runs to Midian. We learn more about what was in Moses’ mind and what he did wrong here in the book of Acts.
Act 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
Act 7:24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
Act 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Moses took wrong actions
Sometimes the wrong that we fall into are actions that we do. And many times the wrong we fall into is a failure to do. Moses falls into both categories here.
He did not pray
You do not see Moses saying one prayer. He did not seek God’s leadership. He did not wait on the Lord for guidance or direction. Moses decided to put God over Egypt and then immediately left God out of the first action he did after making that decision.
Moses made the right decision. The problem was Moses was still full of self. He was acting in his own self-energy. It was rash, impetuous, and headstrong. He did not stop and ask God how He wanted to be served.
Many people make the same mistake. They decide to put God first over the world and they just set off doing it their way.
Compare how Moses did it wrong with a man who did it right.
Act_9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Paul is an example of how to do it right. He met Jesus and immediately said Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? He moves out from the choice of God first with seeking guidance from God.
And there is patience here. God does not tell Paul his instructions right then. God says go to the city and wait. And Paul obeys and goes to wait.
Moses on the other hand just acts on his own. We need to be a people who not only want to choose God over the world, but also after making that decision stop and ask God what He wants us to do.
Moses wanted to use the wrong hand
Act 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Notice how it is worded. By his hand would deliver them. The emphasis is on Moses’ hand.
We need to remember that Mosses was always accustomed to having his own way. The Bible says he was mighty in words and in deeds. Moses was a man of action. A man of deeds. He was used to being able to make things happen.
A real go getter. Let’s get it done. While that might work well in the halls of Egypt. That attitude does not work well in the service of the Lord. Instead we need to always be mindful of what Jesus said.
Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The work of God really needs to be done by the Hand of God.
Moses wanted immediate results
If Moses said jump, people would say how high. When Moses made a decision, things got done. Patience and waiting on God was something that Moses had yet to learn. He wanted to serve God. Moses wanted to be used by God to deliver his people. And Moses wanted it now.
This is seldom the way God works. Usually there is sowing first, followed by prayer and watering, then comes the harvest.
Gal_6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
1Co_3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Moses did not expect to be rebuked by the people he was trying to save. He did not expect his blows to be in vain.
Moses had not yet learned that God has a time for action. God has a plan. And we not only need to follow His plan and His directions, but we need to follow His time table. Fast forward in the life of Moses and we see that he had learned this. Unfortunately many of the people had not yet learned that God’s instructions need to be carried out when He says so. Moses ran ahead of God and had to flee Egypt.
He made the mistake of acting before God’s time. And in the book of Numbers we see the other mistake and that is delaying to obey. God’s time to act is not always open to when we feel like it. We can miss great opportunities if we delay.
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Num 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
Num 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
Num 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
Deu 1:41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.
Deu 1:42 And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
Deu 1:43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.
Deu 1:44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.
Deu 1:45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
Deu 1:46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.
When God said it was time, they said it was not time. And when God said it is too late, they said it is now time. Let’s go up. It has been well said that delayed obedience is not obedience at all.
We always need to be careful to wait on God. Do not run ahead of Him and try to do the work without Him. Like Moses did. We also need to be careful to be prompt in obeying when God’s timing does arrive.
Before we are too hard on Moses we should remember two things.
Such experiences come to us all. And it is very easy for us to rush forward and strike a few blows in vain. We can then stagger with disappointment, flee from the scene of the work and go hide.
The second thing to remember is that Moses did recover from this, and became one of the greatest servants of God that ever lived. That should encourage each and every one of us who has ever rushed ahead of God and tried to serve Him in our own power, in our own way, and in our own time.
God does allow us to learn. And He will like Moses give people a second chance to do it right.
What we need to do after we choose God over Egypt is be tender to seeking God’s will.
We need to seek to serve Him in His way, with His power, and under His direction.
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