I Can't Hear You...Cause God's Talking!! (Moses and Slaves)

I'm continuing to read through Exodus and I am continuing to be blown away by almost every verse in it!! Today I cam across this:

"May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." -Exodus 5:21

These are the words coming from the very people that Moses had been sent to save in Egypt! They cursed him...they rallied against him...they despised him.

At this point, Moses had come to Pharaoh on God's orders and had commanded that the people be set free...Pharaoh had ordered extra work from all of the Israelites in response. But before he had gone to Pharaoh, Moses had sat down and explained everything to the Israelites and they had understood completely and believed that Moses was there on God's behalf.

What an awkward and frustrating position Moses was in!! Here he was...doing God's will...trying to help people...but the very people he was there to help and support were cursing him!! How would you handle that?? I'd probably have told them how ungrateful they were and then went back to Pharaoh and said "Give me a whip..."!! Of course...about that time, God would've probably smacked me with a bolt of lightning too...

Good thing that never happens today!! Good thing Churches and Christians never turn on people trying to help them when times get tough these days...

I hate to say it, but it is VERY common today!! It is so common that I hate to think of the number of people that have been called to do glorious things in God's name and lead thousands to Christ in the process....who have simply given up because the very people and system that they were there to support...turned on them.

How many preachers waste more time critiquing and criticizing other churches and denominations than they do supporting and leading their very own flock?? How many organizations refuse to entertain the thought allowing others in because they are "different"??

Here's a prime example: As a youth minister, I am constantly looking for things to edify and entertain my youth!! I'm good....but whew...help is always needed. So when I get a call (which is rare) from people wanting to speak or play for my youth, I almost always invite them over!! Most youth directors guard their groups with a heated passion...deflecting any attempts that might come from the outside and criticizing anyone who doesn't come out of the normal channels with the normal degrees and the normal training, like graduating from cemetery...oops...I mean seminary.

They're afraid someone else might get the credit...they're afraid someone else might lead their youths to Christ...bottom line: They're afraid someone might take they're job!!

Let me tell you what Moses knew: God hired him and only God could fire him. The same goes for youth directors and pastors and anyone working at a Church!! So if you're constantly worried someone might come take your "job", then your "job" is already lost cause you took your eyes off Jesus a while back!!

Moses found something out about following God. He found out that it ain't always the people far from God that come after you...sometimes it's the very people you are helping!!

Moses also sets the example: Without a word...he simply kept following God. So what if they were angry with his words to Pharaoh...So what if they didn't approve of his methods...So what if they didn't support his actions.

They weren't his words, methods, and actions to begin with...They were the words, methods, and actions of God!! And brother...when you're following God and you are answering to THAT higher power and not some self appointed church body, board of deacons, event committee, convention, organization, denominational group, or even government...when you're truly following the LORD, everything that those other groups do or yell or scream or say falls on deaf ears and blind eyes!!

The Bible doesn't address how Moses responded to the naysayers, but the lack of response says it all to me! He simply walked on by, knowing he was there to do God's work...not to please some congregation of bench warmers who claimed to know the most high God, but when the going got rough, they simply forgot how powerful He truly was!!! Moses walked on by and prayed to God...wow...that's true faith and strength right there!!

I look at my son and I know that he and his generation will brings new ideas and methods to Christianity that none of us have thought of...and that I will probably not like all of them. But I pray that I look for Jesus in everything and that Christ be my measuring stick...not my own personal preferences.

One last thing: Moses came to free the Israelites so that they could worship and follow God...But the process was uncomfortable (for both Moses and the Israelites). In my experience, following God always has a level of discomfort. Are you uncomfortable??

"Love one another." -Jesus