the LORD had just given Moses a mission, then told him to meet with the leadership of Israel and tell them the plan. Moses said "they won't believe that you sent me" so he was given a few pretty awesome signs to show them something supernatural was behind this man who is telling them he's been sent by God as an answer to their cries for help and freedom. ,,,I remember something a former pastor used to say all the time: "signs are for unbelievers." The tribal elders already believed in *God*; these signs were so that they would believe that he was acting as God's representative, so they would believe in *Moses*...
...then Moses said he was a bad communicator. The translations from our links there to the right use the phrases "slow of speech and tongue", "slow of mouth...slow of tongue", and "...my words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly." It could be that Moses had a speech impediment, or a childhood injury, or maybe his Hebrew just wasn't that good (he did spend more of his life in Egyptian and Midianite cultures than with Israel) - maybe he was concerned that he'd be seen as a double agent of the king or some ex-pat outsider, and that his own people wouldn't trust him because of his difficulty as a communicator...
...I think Moses concerns were legitimate, but then when he began to shift from concerned towards disobedience, then the LORD might have used his "dad voice" to remind Moses who was giving the orders and who would follow them. He did show a kindness, though, in giving his brother Aaron as a wingman. I think this comforted Moses, because a man can misunderstand the Lord and go off in crazy directions on his own, but that's harder to do when your big brother is right there going through it with you. - jeffrey
On the way to Egypt, there was trouble on the road that *could* have been the death of Moses, but ended with a circumcision. We might see that as *extreme* if we're focused on Moses. If, instead, we're focused on the LORD and living according to his instructions, we might see it as strange, or not fully invested, or even insubordinate that Moses - a Hebrew who would have known his people's history - would have not done the thing that the LORD said would show the world who belongs to him. Informed disobedience/sin will come up again - probably in this very wilderness - with God's people, and He was obviously determined that his chosen leader for the people would be an example of being on the LORD's side, not going our own way and saying things like "God loves me, and he understands that *I'm just not there yet*" ...I could be wrong, obviously; this whole showdown on the road could have been something else. But Scripture teaches us is that those who trust in God are faithful to the one in whom they say they trust - they show their faith *by* their works. It's interesting to consider *why* Jesus used the phrase "many are called, few are chosen" to end a story he told in Matthew 22... - jeffrey
I think that also, if Moses had been allowed to not follow the instruction, then other people might have wanted to follow his example. God is like, nope, you are not getting away with this. -Christopher
Pharaoh's response to "let my people go" was something like "you guys are too preoccupied with other stuff, let me get you focused on what's important (building a kingdom for my glory)". ...then the stressed-out Hebrew construction foremen (who knew this situation was not sustainable, would be the death of them) told Moses, basically, "May the LORD rain down justice on you behind this one"...
...and the LORD did, in fact, rain down justice soon after this. He got the people - all of them, Egyptians and Pharaoh included - focused on what's important: building a kingdom for his glory. And he did it in a way that answered his people's prayers, legitimized Moses, enriched and freed Israel, and removed any challengers from the playing field. - jeffrey
Genealogies are important, and they're in Scripture for a reason. Maybe the reason for this partial listing (the first three tribes of Jacob's eldest sons, ending with the proof of Moses' and Aaron's descent) was, again, to legitimize the prophet and priest as God's men. - jeffrey
the LORD had just given Moses a mission, then told him to meet with the leadership of Israel and tell them the plan. Moses said "they won't believe that you sent me" so he was given a few pretty awesome signs to show them something supernatural was behind this man who is telling them he's been sent by God as an answer to their cries for help and freedom.
ReplyDelete,,,I remember something a former pastor used to say all the time: "signs are for unbelievers." The tribal elders already believed in *God*; these signs were so that they would believe that he was acting as God's representative, so they would believe in *Moses*...
...then Moses said he was a bad communicator. The translations from our links there to the right use the phrases "slow of speech and tongue", "slow of mouth...slow of tongue", and "...my words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly."
DeleteIt could be that Moses had a speech impediment, or a childhood injury, or maybe his Hebrew just wasn't that good (he did spend more of his life in Egyptian and Midianite cultures than with Israel) - maybe he was concerned that he'd be seen as a double agent of the king or some ex-pat outsider, and that his own people wouldn't trust him because of his difficulty as a communicator...
...I think Moses concerns were legitimate, but then when he began to shift from concerned towards disobedience, then the LORD might have used his "dad voice" to remind Moses who was giving the orders and who would follow them. He did show a kindness, though, in giving his brother Aaron as a wingman. I think this comforted Moses, because a man can misunderstand the Lord and go off in crazy directions on his own, but that's harder to do when your big brother is right there going through it with you.
Delete- jeffrey
On the way to Egypt, there was trouble on the road that *could* have been the death of Moses, but ended with a circumcision. We might see that as *extreme* if we're focused on Moses. If, instead, we're focused on the LORD and living according to his instructions, we might see it as strange, or not fully invested, or even insubordinate that Moses - a Hebrew who would have known his people's history - would have not done the thing that the LORD said would show the world who belongs to him.
ReplyDeleteInformed disobedience/sin will come up again - probably in this very wilderness - with God's people, and He was obviously determined that his chosen leader for the people would be an example of being on the LORD's side, not going our own way and saying things like "God loves me, and he understands that *I'm just not there yet*"
...I could be wrong, obviously; this whole showdown on the road could have been something else. But Scripture teaches us is that those who trust in God are faithful to the one in whom they say they trust - they show their faith *by* their works. It's interesting to consider *why* Jesus used the phrase "many are called, few are chosen" to end a story he told in Matthew 22...
- jeffrey
I think that also, if Moses had been allowed to not follow the instruction, then other people might have wanted to follow his example. God is like, nope, you are not getting away with this.
Delete-Christopher
right on.
DeletePharaoh's response to "let my people go" was something like "you guys are too preoccupied with other stuff, let me get you focused on what's important (building a kingdom for my glory)".
ReplyDelete...then the stressed-out Hebrew construction foremen (who knew this situation was not sustainable, would be the death of them) told Moses, basically, "May the LORD rain down justice on you behind this one"...
...and the LORD did, in fact, rain down justice soon after this. He got the people - all of them, Egyptians and Pharaoh included - focused on what's important: building a kingdom for his glory. And he did it in a way that answered his people's prayers, legitimized Moses, enriched and freed Israel, and removed any challengers from the playing field.
Delete- jeffrey
Genealogies are important, and they're in Scripture for a reason. Maybe the reason for this partial listing (the first three tribes of Jacob's eldest sons, ending with the proof of Moses' and Aaron's descent) was, again, to legitimize the prophet and priest as God's men.
ReplyDelete- jeffrey