 |  |
The God Who spoke to Moses from the bush revealed Himself as Elohim, the God of
creation: Elohim then changes to Jehovah. Moses must know Him as the God of the
Covenant, the Covenant keeping God:
"And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,
Jehovah God of your fathers . . . . . . . sent me unto you: this is My name for ever"
(Exodus 3: 15).
Personal confrontation had to become a personal relationship. Moses must know,
before he commences his work that the God whom he will serve is a faithful God, and
can be relied upon in every circumstance.
Again, Moses had to realize the all-sufficiency of God.
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM" (Exod. 3: 14).
A statement which is wonderfully all-inclusive. It is sometimes said it would be better
to translate it "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE". God will do His own will, nothing will
prevent it. Yet in all the history of His people He will be found to be all, and indeed
more than all that they need. With all the experiences involved in the exodus from Egypt,
Moses had need to know this from the outset. When confronted by the Red Sea, with the
hosts of Pharaoh behind, it would be a strength to Moses to know their God was able: in
the wilderness needing water, needing food, it would be a strength to him to know that
God would supply.
Yet there was one aspect of the character of Jehovah Moses had yet to learn. In this
incident Moses shows a commendable humility: verse 11, "Who am I, that I should go
unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Chapter 4:, verse 1 Moses doubts his ability to convince his hearers, a few verses later
(10) he speaks of his inability to speak eloquently, and goes on (13) "O my Lord, send I
pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send". The outcome of this final
objection was that he was commissioned to include in his ministry his brother Aaron: an
arrangement which later led to trouble. Moses had to learn that "God's calling is God's
enabling". His commission could not be shared with another. There is a humility which
is right, and in due course Moses came to that right humility; but there is a humility
which is wrong. Peter defines the humility needed by Moses, and needed by us all:
"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject
one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He
may exalt you in due time" (I Pet. 5: 6).
True humility is first the submission of oneself to the will of God. Whatever His will
may call upon us for, He will be sufficient.
For the man, or woman, called of God, faith in the God of creation must give way to a
personal relationship through personal confrontation. He must wait until he has been
called before embarking on any course of action, to do otherwise can only lead to trouble.
As he looks to the future, he needs to realize that the man chosen of God is `immortal till