Called From the Burning Bush

​Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth
my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh,
and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee,
that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt,
ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Exo 3:10-12

In these verses we see the amazement and obvious truth that came to Moses as he is told by God what he was calling him to do, his response is what all who are called into ministry feel- “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?”
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Moses was well educated—still his mental discipline would hardly appear to him as equal to the present crisis and undertaking. He would have to fall back upon his knowledge of the Egyptian court, and upon other matters, of important bearing on his mission. So, may ministers of today feel their inability to combat the error—skepticism—and sin of the age—through their lack of brain power. They have not had the advantages in their early days that even Moses had. Of what little information they possess, they make the best possible use. It requires a well disciplined mind to go to the Pharaohs of the world, and to demand efficiently the moral freedom of their slaves.

When young and living in the palaces of Pharaoh, Moses had striven to interrupt a quarrel between two Hebrews by referring them to the fact of their common brotherhood and suffering—he had been repulsed, because he had killed the Egyptian. Now, a murderer and an outcast, he is cast out of the Pharaoh's court, and banished into the wilderness.

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. 
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No doubt the remembrance of this fact now lingered within his mind—as there are certain experiences that never leave us—they become the constant, and great educational influences of our souls. This reminiscence would give Moses to feel the difficulty of the task now God calls upon him. 

This also happens to servants and ministers of the Gospel—the sins of the past, though now forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ, can be a source of difficulty and regret mixed with grief, and find it difficult to overcome when Satan may come and condemn and accuse us of our past. He did this to Paul, and he endured this throughout his ministry. We know that in ourselves, we are not worthy of being called into any service, and may almost shrink from it. It's an ongoing process of renewing our minds with the word of God, trusting in the shed blood of Christ, that covers our sin, from the day of our salvation, and walking out our faith, and not giving place to the sins of the flesh. If we fall and do sin, immediately confess it, and repent and turn from it again, and remain under the covering of the blood of Christ. This is how God's people walk in righteousness. We know we will never attain perfection here, but, we are to strive for holiness, and God knows, and sees our hearts. His mercy and grace covers us, as we run this race, to the best of our ability.

This may cause us to lose friends and suffer alienation of family members, again, Jesus tells us we will. Moses once had friends in the court of Pharaoh—he was the adopted son of the King’s daughter—had he retained her friendship—it might have been of use to him now; but he had lost it by flight. It's always easy to serve God when you have a crowd of followers, but, when they turn and leave you, and your left alone, then the test of faith becomes real. Paul said more than once "all forsook me."

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 
Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 
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This when the disciples and apostles in the bible learned to depend on the presence of God, in the trials of their faith, and isolation. You learn who God is, in a greater degree, and you learn who you are, and learn to become real with yourself, and with God. Your relationship to Him becomes the center of your life. You love people, but are not dependent on them to be a source of your life or ministry. You've learned that God is the source of all life, light, and guidance. You learn to hear His voice and obey it, whether anyone understands you or not. Your willing to live, or die for the commission given to you by God, whether anyone believes you, or not. 

If you do an in-depth study of how many times Moses went to God and complained of the rebellion and mistreatment he received by the grumbling murmuring people, and the times God himself told Moses that he wanted to kill them all and wipe them out and start over- you will see a companionship and dialogue between the Creator God-and his servant, and that they were confiding in each other, and talking each other out of doing something they'd regret! This is true fellowship and friendship-that you will see in many places in the bible, between God and his servants in their inter-actions with sinful man. King David, and Jeremiah also have inter-actions and dialogue that will open your eyes, to how we can come boldly to His Throne of Grace, and bring our troubles, our needs, and intercede for the very things He calls us to believe Him for-and expect an answer. God wants this kind of boldness, and faith. But, I'll emphasize, this kind of faith never involves filling your pockets with gold, or jet-planes or billions of dollars in the bank, for your own profit. Read Jesus' teachings on this in the gospels, and let it reach your heart. I don't waste God's time asking for riches-He's promised to supply all my NEEDS, NOT MY GREED. The prosperity preacher's who are bragging of their wealth now, I do not envy at all. Read the parable of the dishonest manager-what did he do with what he was entrusted with? How did they use it, and what did it profit them? When they die, they are going to leave it all here-there's no U-hauls of this worlds gold or goods that will enter heaven.

Luk 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 
Luk 16:12  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? 
Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 
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This is the reason I keep seeking God every day-God tells me, if I seek Him-I'll find Him. In my years so far-I've had enough experiences and He's proven His love and ability to care for my needs, and I've seen enough answers to prayer, that nothing else will satisfy me. I want God, and whatever is His will for me. If your in His perfect will and you know it, there's no safer place to be.
Lorna Couillard

Called Out of Exile

This narrative is a chain of glorious wonders. We see here--
An old man called to go out on the great errand of his life. The education of Moses for the great mission of his life lasted eighty years. God never sends forth fruit until the season is fitted for the fruit, and the fruit for the season; when the hour was ready for the man, and the man for the hour, then God sent forth Moses.
The burning bush from which that call was sounded. (1) This was a sign to indicate the peculiar presence of God. (2) It was also a symbol of His people, eminently adapted to encourage the prophet in undertaking their cause.
The angel who uttered this call. We see at the first glance that He is Divine; we next learn that He is an angel; we further find, from a chain of Scripture proofs, that He is Christ.
The covenant under which the Angel gave him his commission. It was the same covenant that had been given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Angel’s name. That name asserts (1) His real existence, (2) His underived existence, (3) His independent existence, (4) His eternity.
The effect to be wrought by the remembrance of His name. (1) It was intended to inspire profoundest reverence for the Being to whom it belongs. (2) It reveals the infinite sufficiency of a Christian’s portion. (3) It gives encouragement to Evangelical enterprise.
(C. Stanford, Symbols of Christ, p. 61)
​See: Exo 3:2-4

The Exodus-The Example to the Tribulation Saints

The learning of Egypt was not sufficient to equip Moses for his life-work. He is taken to the solitudes of the wilderness. That is God’s college. All who have done the greatest work in the world have graduated there-Elijah at Horeb, Ezekiel at Chebar, Paul in Arabia, and John in Patmos. God’s workers may take their arts course in the universities, but must take their Divinity course alone with Him. Often in the middle of daily duty we come on the outshining of his Presence. Let us be on the outlook for it, and take off our shoes.
This burning bush has generally been taken as the emblem of the Church amid the fires of tribulation; but there is a deeper meaning. The fire was the token of God’s presence. The bush was unconsumed, because God’s love is its own fuel. Notice the successive steps: “I have seen;” “heard;” “know;” “am come down;” “will send.” The “cry” of the previous chapter is answered by the “coming down” of this. See Luk_18:7-8.   (F.B. Meyer)
​Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 
Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

Our Partnership With God

NOTHING IS more needed to-day than God's Partnership as a realized fact in Christian experience. Many of us may assent to what is written in these lines, and then put it aside, as a dream which is too ethereal to be of practical service. But when the Apostle said that "our fellowship, our partnership, is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" it is surely meant that we should enter upon our inheritance. "I AM... " says our great Partner; "fill in your need, and I will meet your demand, according to the riches of My glory in Christ Jesus." Let us tear out the order-forms from God's service-register, fill them up, and present them for delivery. Not one of them would be dishonored. And if it happened that we had wrongly diagnosed our need, He would erase the demand based on our imperfect knowledge, and substitute what we would ask if we knew. There is nothing more certain than that the more we ask of God, the more pleased He is to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

Our Lord made use of this incident when He was challenged by the Sadducees to adduce proof of the future life from the Books of Moses. He answered by quoting this paragraph of the burning bush, calling special attention to the fact that Moses referred to God as the "God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." He said that the use of the present tense—I AM—proved that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, and that all live unto Him.

What a comfort there is in this thought, that our beloved who have passed from us are in-breathing the same atmosphere as we are. We all eat the same spiritual meat and all drink the same spiritual drink. We see in a mirror darkly, but they face to face; but this identity of fellowship, of partnership with the "I AM," the ever-present God who fills heaven and earth, is a proof and a pledge that they have not altered essentially. They are drinking of the same stream higher up and nearer its source: "One family we dwell in him."  (Our Daily Walk)

"Certainly I Will Be With Thee”

What is the guarantee of success?
1. Not human cleverness; ministers may be clever, so may churches, etc.; we may have learned sermons, able sermons, ingenious sermons,.
2. Not skillful organization. Cards, bazaars, registers, circulars, etc., all useless as ends.
3. The word of the Lord is the guarantee of success. “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” “My word shall not return unto Me void.”

“Certainly I will be with thee.”—then the servant is to be received for the master’s sake. “He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.” The true minister carries a blessing with him. The Romans were to receive Phoebe in the Lord. What a lesson to ministers—they are representatives of God!

“Certainly I will be with thee.”—then there need be no lack of grace or power. “If any man lack wisdom,” etc. “Lo, I am with you alway,” etc. “Ye have not because ye ask not, or because ye ask amiss.” The servants may take counsel of one another, but not to the interruption of continuous and trustful prayer to the Master.
1. God is with His servants for their comfort.
2. For their guidance.
3. For their safety.

Application: Notice--
1. The individuality of the promise, “I will be with thee”—with the one man.
2. The emphasis of the premise—“Certainly.” Who is with us in our life-ministry? (J. Parker, D. D.)
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1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 
1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.