THE WORKING OF FAITH IN THE LIFE OF MOSES - Hebrews 11 verses 23 -29

INTRODUCTION

Well people it is the seventh month since I have started blogging, before we go any further we want to thank the Lord in this the seventh month. Seven (7) being the number of perfection or completion. I was rereading the earlier blogs and I was getting so excited and my spirit was being ignited.  So I want to thank God that in the month of
April- We learnt about the UNCHANGING GOD through the life of the Jewish patriarch Abraham.
May - We learnt THE ATTITUDE TO BE through the Beatitudes of Jesus.
June -  We explored the whole area of prayer through TEACH US TO PRAY.
July - We learnt about the master key of master keys HOLINESS without which no man shall see God.
August - What a month of abundance we learnt THE LAWS OF PROSPERITY.  Please keep tithing people it is the least you can do.  It keeps you honest, faithful and accountable.  Just an aside here I cant get it out of my spirit.  You know how we looked at some of the billionaires in this post.  Here it is I was invited to Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was something that I had not planned because I have quite a few things to do and the invitation came just after I had put my weekend schedule together.  However I accepted since someone went to the trouble. I asked for the time of the dinner thinking I would just go in time and do the social thing and just get back to my schedule.  People, these are Jamaicans so I arrive at the appointed time only to be placed in front of the television CNN.  So I say I might as well relax and enjoy the moment.  I have not watched CNN (Constant Negative News I have heard it been described) in years.  As in Jamaica of a few months ago the new American soap opera was going on, the elections.  The Presidential debate was completed the night before so they were giving the highlights.  The clip of note to me, was the one in which Mr. Trump was defending his tax avoidance by carrying forward his business losses.  He stated that this was common among the rich and went on to call a few names one of them being Warren Buffet. Stay with me people I am coming down to my punch line.  Then another news clipping came up with the response from Mr. Buffet stating that he has his 72 tax filings and he has never carry forward anything.  He had a copy of his first tax filing from the age of 13 years old when he paid $7 in taxes (he was a slow starter).  You get it people at 13 years old this man was filing taxes and he said he was a slow starter.  This man is pure class. No wonder this man is a billionaire.  I call him the frugal billionaire. Oh by the way the food was good it was a Jamaican home after all what do you expect, oxtail, curried goat, turkey etc. etc. To get back on track in
September - We learnt about another master key THE PURPOSE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP for this purpose we have been created.
May the Lord continue to glorify His name and take this blog in the direction He desires.
So here we are in October I hope you will continue to be blessed by reading these blogs, go ahead and write your sermons, share with your friends and spread the love and the word around.

THE BIRTH OF THE WORD

When the word came into my spirit to write about faith. I did not just want to write another post on faith and be part of the mass of material.  So I decided to use Moses as my scriptural illustration.  I can identify with his character like myself he is a "late bloomer". As I was meditating on the word and the life of Moses; I was reminded of a prophecy that I had received in the early days when we held church in a school room. I will not tell you the date because I do not want to date myself.  If you are that interested and you are not on my Face Book page you can google it.  I am surprised that I showed up on google.  I thought no one knew me.  We will not discuss my digital footprint.  It was in this school room that I learned about servant leadership by cleaning the school bathrooms. I also learnt about Submission in my bedroom listening to Pastor John Bevere.  I will share these insights with you as we journey together.
Anyway getting back to the prophecy, the name of the Minister was Pastor David Clemetson, powerful man of God. I mean in those days we had some strong men of the word. I had this prophecy for years just confessing over my life. He really went into me that day.  He left and returned  I remember one of the section of the prophecy was that "like Moses you would be in the wilderness for a season etc. etc." Now that I am writing about it I need to resurrect this prophecy because it is the most accurate prophecy I have had to date. By the way another late bloomer was Abraham he started at 75.  Genesis 12 verse 4
Another aside people I recently had someone tell me that they were retired and was at home watching television and reading the Bible. I said to myself does this person really read the Bible.  As Pastor E.A. Adeboye would say "God is a businessman" you are of no profit  (yes people profit) he kills you.  That is why I love God's retirement plan so much:
Jesus Christ - 33 years old crucified purpose complete - For this purpose was the Son of God manifest to destroy the works of the evil one
Enoch - You are too good for this Earth come home.
Elijah - You ran from Jezebel anoint Elisha and come home in blazing glory, chariots of fire.
Elisha - when he died his bones were still fulfilling purpose, leads us to wonder what we are doing with our living bones.
Aaron - Anoint Elazar and come home.
Paul - I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I am ready to be taken out.
John - In his old age wrote the book of Revelation.
Moses - Anoint Joshua and come let me kill you.

CRITICAL DEFINITIONS

Faith - Hebrews 11 verse 1

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'

Simply put your faith is what will bring into being the unseen things you are hoping for.
Now let us look at the measure of faith that has been given to all of us. Romans 12 verse 3

'For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.' 

What you do with the measure that has been given to you is up to you.  A scripture I particularly like is James 1 verses 2 - 3

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

If you do not exercise your faith it will not grow. You cant pray over someone with cancer if you have not had the faith to believe Him for a headache.  That is why one of the significant things about worship is that the level of your worship will be dependent on your experience with this God. You cant worship God as your deliverer when the only major crisis you have had in your life is low battery in your TV remote or the lack of a smart phone for a few hours.
If you do not grow your faith this is what will happen.  The writer of Hebrews admonishing the Christians, Hebrews 5 verses 12 -14

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Out of the mouth of two (2) witnesses let everything be established you can also read I Corinthians 3 verses 1 - 3.

THE MAN OF THE MOMENT - MOSES

Hebrews 11 verses 23 - 29

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

Verse 23 - Before we examine the captioned scripture each verse represents a separate time period in the life of Moses. Persons normally gloss over the part played by Moses' parents Amram and Jochebed.  Most persons dont even know their names. But I put it to you it is obvious that Moses came from a household of faith and discernment.  Thank God for discerning and faithful parents.  Exodus 2 verse 2.
Another little gem out of the book of Exodus (there are so many of them; I was rebuked for reading Exodus 15 verses 1 - 11 in a prayer meeting, the head felt that it was not relevant and I read too long Lord help my Holy Ghost) Exodus 2 verse 9 God has a wry sense of humour.  He will get your enemy to pay to look after you and educate you so that you can demolish them.
Verses 24 - 26 - Choosing to be identified as a Jew was a pivotal decision in Moses' life.  He was second in line to the throne in the greatest nation in the known world at that time.  He had everything going for him. It must have been some struggle. He had it all.  What we are all striving after. It took him forty (40) years but he finally made the right decision. He had insight into something most of us dont, even though we have the Holy Spirit. When you partner with God it is a win-win situation. He was certainly being pulled between two (2) worlds, remember the Lord engineered it so that he was nurtured by his mother rather than the Egyptians.  So let us not be fooled he knew his heritage.
Verse 27 -  He certainly fled from Egypt for his life Hebrews says it is faith. Exodus 2 verses 14-15. However, in Acts 7 verses 22 - 25 this is how Stephen through the Holy Spirit interpreted the happenings:

22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

So Moses' was in his season but working things his way.  His brethren's were not quite up to speed. After forty (40) years in the wilderness God got Moses' attention with the burning bush experience. You all know it, the bush that was burning but was not being consumed Exodus 3 verses 1 -4. Then God reestablished his purpose Exodus 3 verse 10.  Purpose will keep you alive as the late Dr. Myles Munroe would say.
In Exodus 3 verse 14 we see God answering Moses' question about His name.  He said to tell the people that the I AM THAT I AM has sent him. Now you see why the blog is called THE I AM GOD.
We also have God giving Moses miracles to show the people.  Moses being human wants to be assured that if you are going to be threatened with stoning then you have to have a firm assurance of in whom you believe.
Moses was reticent at first, aren't we all Elijah called down fire from heaven and then ran from a woman's threat. However, once purpose kicked in there was no stopping him.  The rest is history as we would say.
Verse 28 - Covered under the blood. Moses had some ground breaking revelations he did things and went to places where no one had trodden before him.  The final show down in Egypt. The killing of the first born. The blood on the door post signifying the blood covering offered by our Lord Jesus Christ. My very best take away from this chapter though is Exodus 12 verse 36 where it said God gave the children of Israel favour with their neighbours and they spoiled the Egyptians. It is said to date the Egyptian economy has not recovered. Get ready for the coming wealth transfer. You need to prepare yourselves the nations of the world are in crisis.
Verse 29 - The crossing of the Red Sea.  I was listening to a teaching that said if Moses had prayed when they had come to the Red Sea with his stutter the Egyptians would have overtaken them before he had a chance to finish the prayer. Lord help my Holy Ghost. So he just followed God and lifted up the rod in faith.

The feats of Moses are they not written in the annals of history.
Aaron leading the people into idolatry Exodus 32 - now you see why he is not mentioned in the Hall of Faith Idolatry the first High Priest.  King Solomon also.
Moses breaking the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments in anger Exodus 32 verse 19.
Moses hitting the rock out of anger instead of speaking to it as commanded by God, resulting in him truncating his destiny and not entering the promise land Numbers 20 verses 8-12.
Doubt, fear and unbelief resulting in an entire nation (except for two (2) persons) dying in the wilderness. Numbers 13 verses 30-33; 14 verses 1 -11.
Leadership problems Numbers 16 - Rebellion against Moses' leadership.  Moses' prayer Numbers 16 verses 29 -30. Immediate answer Numbers 16 verses 31 -33. A serious man of God is a dangerous human being. Just in case you are saying this is Old Testament let me give you one of the New Testament examples Acts 13 verses 8-12.
One of my all time pearls (you wonder why I like precious stones, I am like my Daddy.  He uses them to make gate posts Revelation 21 vs 21) from the book of Numbers
This is what Daddy commanded Moses and Aaron to do.  It is a command!
Numbers 6 verses 22 - 26

22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace

Skip over to the New Testament, that first century Jewish writer (you have gotten it yes, the Apostle Paul) I Thessalonians 5 verses 23 - 24

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

In the book of Jude 24-25

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Start ending church by blessing the people dont just send them away.

IN CONCLUDING

These few pages could not grasp the height and depth that is this man Moses.  I hope I have sufficiently titillated your appetite so that you can go and do your own study into at least one facet of his life. Remember no matter how great these men were they all had character flaws. Moses was a murderer, he had anger problems and he stuttered. Zipporah his wife also had to rebuke him.  This brings us back to the fundamental.  There is only one perfect sacrifice that is Jesus Christ no one else could have done what He accomplished. So remember always to keep your eyes on Him.

So until next month this is all from me Raphleta, Lillene's baby girl from up here in the true north.  You be blessed!!

À bientôt