THE LORD SPOKE (January 23)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Exodus 4-5

We’re so good at making up excuses. It’s always easier to think of ten reasons why something can’t be done or why we can’t do it. We must have learned it from Moses. In his conversation with God before leaving Midian, Moses came up with some real whoppers.

First, he uses the argument of lack of prestige. He says, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:11), conveniently forgetting that he was uniquely qualified to do so, having been raised in the palace. No one was in a better position for the job than he.

Second, he claimed lack of authority (Ex. 3:13). Never mind he’d just heard the voice of God coming from the burning bush. Never mind he was currently in conversation with the Creator of heaven and earth. Never mind the last words he’d just heard Him speak - “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12). God’s response is to reveal His most sacred name, “I AM...the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Ex. 3:15).

Third, Moses pled a lack of credibility (Ex. 4:1) so God gave him a series of miraculous signs to use when necessary. Later, even the crafty medicine men of Egypt recognized them as “the finger of God” (Ex. 8:19).

Fourth, the mighty prophet protested a lack of eloquence (Ex. 4:10. “Slow of speech and tongue”, he said. “I’ve never been eloquent.” As if any of it depended on him in the first place. As if God couldn’t do it. God very simply and forcefully answered, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Ex. 4:11-12).

Finally, Moses was resorted to whining about a lack of ability (Ex. 4:13). “Please send someone else to do it.” Then the Lord, who is slow to anger (Ex. 34:6), got mad. Moses was reduced to first chair playing second fiddle. He was still God’s chosen leader but he was diminished, demoted, and downgraded from what he could have been. Even so, some of the whining carried on for some time after (see Ex. 6:12,30).

With “the staff of God [!] in his hand”, Moses started back to Egypt (Ex. 4:20). Aaron came out into the desert to meet him and, together, they went to the elders of the Israelites “and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses” (Ex. 4:29). Awkward, to say the least, but still effective for “they believed” and “they bowed down and worshiped” (Ex. 4:31).

Is there a message to give or a job to do that has your name on it? Don’t miss out on what God wants to accomplish through you.


New Testament: Matthew 23

They “sit in Moses’ seat”. It was a position of authority in the synagogue. An intact example of one was found in the excavations at Chorazin and another possible piece of one at Capernaum. It was a special chair located at the front of the synagogue prayer hall and was where the teachers of the law used to sit while teaching.

More important, it was a position of great responsibility. For to teach it and not live it yourself would be a disgrace. It would be a terrible dishonor to God and His Word. And that’s just what was happening! Jesus uses some of the harshest language recorded of Him in the entire New Testament to describe these unworthy leaders of men: hypocrites (6x), blind guides (3x), whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones, snakes and vipers. They do not practice what they preach (vs. 3), they won’t lift a finger to help others (vs. 4), everything they do is for show (vs. 5)... and on and on it goes. Some are even willing to kill (vs. 34) to advance their wicked and selfish aims.

They were full of greed and self-indulgence (vs. 25). They craved all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons, yet they had the audacity to set themselves up as masters and teachers. That’s a dangerous position. As James tells us, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (Jas. 3:1).

Jesus’ words ring out against the rabbis of His day but are also a fearsome reminder to every one of us: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (vs. 12). That has not changed, nor will it. Not far back (Mat. 18:3-4), Jesus had told His disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

You can’t be full of God and full of yourself at the same time. He won’t share that space.