Now Therefore, Behold..

06 Nov Now Therefore, Behold..

I’m sure you know the story;

Moses is at the “back of the desert” patiently tending his father-in-law’s sheep.

Behold, he sees a burning bush.

He approaches it, wondering what on earth could be going on.

Suddenly he hears a voice; “Moses, Moses!”

And just like that, Moses’ life is never the same again.

———

I was reading this story early one morning, lying in my bed, holding my stubborn Android in one hand and trying hard to adjust Messrs New King James font size with the other.

Quite fruitlessly, I might add.

The time was 5.45am, you see, and having slept rather late, I was having a hard time trying to keep my reading schedule.

(Said schedule demands that I read my Bible every day BEFORE THE CRACK OF DAWN).

Well, the crack was fast approaching, and here I was, still half asleep.

So I had done what any spirit-filled sister would do.

I reached over, unplugged my Android and proceeded to do the one-eyed devotional.

Hence my battle with the font size.

Reading horizontally, in the dark, with one eye requires some enterprise, you see.

(You can go ahead and confess, Sister Bedside Pentecostal – you know exactly what I mean).

Anyway, here’s the thing;

I had read the story of Moses many, many times previously. But this time, sleepy as I was, I saw something I had never noticed before.

And this was it;

That when the Lord instructed Moses to demand the release of His people from Pharaoh, not only did the Lord equip him with great signs and wonders with which to convince the man, but He also did an amazing thing.

He revealed to Moses, in detail and in advance, exactly what was going to happen.

Incredible.

The conversation went something like this;

“Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Moses; “But..”

“I will certainly be with you..”

Moses: “But, but..”

“Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’”

And the Lord proceeded to reveal to Moses exactly what was about to happen, in detail:

• The elders of Israel would heed Moses and accept to go with him to petition the King of Egypt for their freedom.
• The King of Egypt would harshly decline to allow them to leave; “no, not even with a mighty hand”.
• The Lord would stretch out His hand and strike Egypt with all His wonders, which He would do in their midst.
• After that, a much humbler Pharaoh would acquiesce and let the people go.
• Incredibly, the Lord would give His people much favor in the eyes of the Egyptians.
• They would then give to the Israelites articles of silver, gold and clothing.
• Thus, the Children of Israel would plunder their former slave-masters, the Egyptians.

Amazing how I had never noticed this before!

That even before Moses had taken one step in the direction of his assignment, the Lord had taken great care to spell out to him, in detail, exactly what was going to happen.

What an awesome God we serve!

So Moses bravely took on his mission, assured of the outcome, despite the great difficulties and challenges he was about to face.

Now, when I look back at my own life, I realize that the Lord has done the same thing for me, over and over again.

That whenever He has tasked me with an assignment He, quite masterfully, has prepared me for it in one way or another, sometimes even providing a glimpse of what is yet to come.

What a joy it is to serve such a Worthy Master!

So, dear reader, I put it to you that the next time the Lord says to you; “Now therefore, behold..”, it may well be worth your while to grab a pen, sit down and listen.

It may just spell the difference between failure and success in your assignment / mission / career / business / relationship / family.

Perhaps even in your very life.

———

“Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”  Exodus 3:9-10

For the full account, take a moment to head on down to the “Back of the Desert” and visit Moses at The Burning Bush.