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At the burning bush Moses was made
aware he was on Holy Ground.
Wherever God is present it is holy.
For instance, the Tabernacle was a
holy place because God was there.
How holy is a gathering when the
saints meet for there am I in the
midst of them (Matt.
20:18-20).
Is it possible that we are not aware
that this is a holy environment, but
can it degrade into a religious
ritual? This leads to the
consideration of, what does “holy”
mean? Putting the unexplainable
simply, the holiness of God is the
moral perfection of God (for
everything has a moral relationship)
affecting everything He ever has
done, is doing or will do.
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Knowing the situation at the Burning
Bush was holy, it is with
carefulness we watch step by step
the unfolding of God’s presence to
Moses. |
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a) |
The angel of the Lord calls Moses
and his response was, “Here am I”
(Ex. 3:4). It was not, I will do
your will with some conditions, it
was a whole hearted submission
without knowing what lay ahead. He
was to be given an understanding of
the greatness of God along several
avenues: |
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i) |
The
sovereignty
of God |
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ii) |
The grace of God |
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iii) |
The knowledge of God |
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iv) |
The graciousness of God in calling
him despite his past to do a great
work for His glory. |
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Moses' First Objection |
“Who am I, that I should go unto
Pharaoh” (Ex. 3:11). Moses was to
learn a fundamental lesson, God will
never reveal his purposes for an
individual without giving them the
ability to fulfil His purpose (Ex.
3:10). Moses was not told
he
would deliver the children of
Israel, God had made it clear that
He (God) would do the delivering
(Ex. 3:8; 17, 20). God’s answer, “I
will be with thee” (Ex. 3:12).
Moses' Second Objection
“Who shall I say sent me?” (Ex.
3:13). It is to be remembered that
at this time the children of Israel
were idolaters (Ezek. 20:7-8), so it
was reasonable for those who would
ask what God he was the spokesman
for. God’s answer is, “I AM THAT I
AM” (Ex. 3:14). What did that
mean? It has several avenues of
truth: |
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a) |
I am absolutely genuine, there is no
hypocrisy, I am all that I am and
all you ever will need. |
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i) |
“I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal.
3:6) |
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ii) |
“I am
the LORD,
and I will bring you out . . . I
will redeem you” (Ex. 6:6) |
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iii) |
"I am the LORD" in supremacy (Ex.
12:12) |
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iv) |
I AM of identity, “I AM THAT I AM”
(Ex. 3:14) |
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v) |
“I am the way, the truth, and the
life”, He is the God of necessity (Jn.
14:6) |
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vi) |
“I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for
evermore” (Rev. 1:18), He is the God
of eternity. |
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b) |
The Manifestations: |
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i) |
The manifestation of His Name, “I AM
THAT I AM” |
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ii) |
The manifestation of His power, “I
am the God of Abram”, that is
resurrection. |
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iii) |
The manifestation of God’s purposes
for Moses, “I will send thee” (Ex.
3:10) |
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iv) |
The renewed manifestation of God’s
purposes for: |
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1.
Israel - To deliver them (Ex. 3:8) |
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2.
To bring them to a good land (Ex.
3:9) |
Moses' Third Objection
“I am not eloquent. . . I am slow
of speech” (Ex. 4:10). I perceive
that God was getting somewhat
annoyed with Moses. Had Moses
limited God’s knowledge, intimating
God did not know he had an
impediment? God answered, “Who hath
made man’s mouth?” (Ex.
4:11).
Moses had to learn two truths: when
God chooses an individual to do a
work, He knows their natural
physical inabilities but in grace,
He will tolerate man’s objections. |
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a) |
Many have heard of Mr. Eternity from
Sydney Australia. This child of God
could not write but believed God
wanted him to bring eternity before
the people of Sydney and wherever he
went in Australia. Over many years
he wrote the word “Eternity” on
thousands of streets. When there
was the celebration for the year
2000, across the Sydney Harbour
Bridge, in the perfect script of Mr.
Eternity, was the word “Eternity”,
and downtown close to the City Hall
there is a little restaurant and on
the floor is a plaque with the word
“Eternity” written on it. God used
a man with little education to
spread the gospel across the world.
It is a very foolish thing to limit
God in what He wants the individual
to do. When I think of Joni and her
disability yet she has been able to
do so much for God. My friend, Mike
McFadyen in Boise, had
West Nile virus and was so near
death, yet he survived
and was in
a wheelchair the next 14 years
before the Lord called Him home.
What a magnificent example to all
who knew him, shepherding the sheep,
helping in the ministry and in
hospitality, yet completely bound by
a wheelchair and unable to move any
part of his body except for one
hand. The lesson is, physical
limitations do not necessarily
prevent us from the work of God. |
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. . . .Rowan Jennings |
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