“Now when forty years
had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a
flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as
he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I
am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And
Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off
the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy
ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people
who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to
deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt’” (Acts 7:30-34).
Stephen described Moses’ life-changing
encounter with God. Moses had run in fear and frustration from his high
position in Egypt. He had been humbled by 40 years of nomadic life in the
Midian wilderness. But God was not done with him yet. God’s plan had not
changed. In fact, God was preparing him for greatness. Through God’s grace,
Moses would become an effective servant leader and deliverer of His children.
This final and most productive part of Moses’ life and ministry began as the 80-year-old
shepherd was confronted by much more than a burning bush. Moses experienced the
encounter that is life-shaping.
Moses encountered the surety of God.
God introduced Himself to Moses with the familiar, covenant affirming words… “I
am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob”.
He reminded Moses that despite the outward appearance of Israel’s slavery and
his own exile, He was going to fulfill His promises of a homeland and a Messiah
for His children. The Messiah promise has been fulfilled in Christ… “And
he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these
things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
himself” (Luke 24:25-27). The permanent homeland promise will be
fulfilled soon… “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). As we journey toward
heaven, our faith is matured by a daily life-shaping encounter with the surety
of God.
Moses encountered the sacredness of
God. He is completely set apart from that which is ordinary or common. There is
no place in His character for unrighteousness or sin. He will not even look at
unholiness… “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look
at wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13). Our sin separates us from God, yet He longs
to enjoy fellowship with the people He has created… “Behold, the LORD’s hand
is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your
sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).
Stephen recalled the detail of God commanding Moses to… “Take off the
sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground”.
He reminded his audience, the Jewish Council along with us, that it’s possible
to draw near to God only if our sin is atoned for. Stephen knew Christ alone
had authority to forgive sin… “But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6). Maturing
disciples enjoy increasing intimacy with God because Christ has forgiven us and
restored us to fellowship with our wonderful Father… “But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians
2:13). Let’s enjoy a daily life-shaping encounter with God by trusting
Christ, confessing sin, removing distractions, and creating and maintaining a
precious place to enjoy the sacredness of God.
Moses encountered the sensitivity of
God. God was aware of and responsive to the suffering of His children… “I
have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard
their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them”. Jesus
demonstrated the sensitivity and compassion of God when He responded to the
needs of those around Him… “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”
(Matthew 9:36). When we have a daily life-shaping encounter with
Christ, His compassion compels us to meet the needs of others and show them the
sensitivity of God.
As we grow up into Christ, we are compelled to share Him with others
because we have experienced…
The Encounter that is Life-Shaping.
No comments:
Post a Comment