Sunday, May 31, 2009

Moses and Me: the long journey to humility

Moses went from a position of significance in the Egypt to obscurity in a foreign land. He wasn't even "good enough" to belong to a group of slaves. That's quite remarkable to think about; he was even rejected by his own people.

You know, Moses could have fought against this descent. Maybe he even did, we don't know all the details of the story. But through the providential circumstances, he had no other option other than accept his rejected lot in life. For Moses, humility meant he stopped fighting for something other than his reality.

Why do you and I fight against our reality (i.e. our brokenness, sin, evil, addictions, weakness, vulnerability)? I have my ideas, but what are yours? And according to the message on Sunday, what do we lose when keep holding tight to the illusion of respectability?

I'd be curious to here your thoughts on anything related to our Sunday message.

4 comments:

James Stokes Photography said...
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James Stokes Photography said...
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James Stokes Photography said...

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12 37

When talking with my peers I often do not feel as if they are talking to me, but at me; telling me of their great accopmlishments and all that THEY have done. When it is my time to speak I say, "The Lord has given me so much and none of it would be possible apart from HIM." I am so blessed. I may not have been able to Graduate from a great College this spring, but I am reminded that GOd has given me so many great gifts that I would not change for anything under the sun. It is hard sometimes not to focus on what you don't have or what you could be doing with your life. I stuggle everyday, asking GOD if this is where I am suppose to be. I have to put my full faith in the path that has been created for me. It is for the LORD's Glory and not my own. I thank GOD that he has humbled me severly and pray that HE continues to exalt me in HIS my precious NAME.

Amen
JGS

James Stokes Photography said...

Moses was born to a common slave but was raised by the Royal Family of Egypt. After killing the Egyptian, a sin, he fled across the Red sea to the land of Midian. He went from eating and sleeping in a palace to tending sheep at the food of Mt. Horeb. He fled for his life because he had stood up for a Hebrew slave, and again he took a stand against the marauding shepherds on behalf of the daughters of Jethro. God sent him to live among the Kenites – followers of El Shaddi- The Lord God Almighty.
What I find amazing is God’s use of number. Moses fought on behalf of others 3 times that we know of. He lived in the land of Midian for 40 years. Throughout the Bible the numbers 3, 7, & 40 are used over and over. What I wonder is why God did not used his sons for a greater purpose. I have read that Gershom means stranger or cast out. "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock ... And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." (Exodus 2:16-17,21-22 RSV)
Neither Gershom or Eliezer became the ruler over Israel. One of the most misunderstood texts in the BIBLE is (Exodus 4:24-27). It would be very interesting to see what you have to say about this Text.

This is a LDS version of the verse.
24 And it came to pass, that the Lord appeared unto him as he was in the way, by the inn. The Lord was angry with Moses, and his hand was about to fall upon him, to kill him; for he had not circumcised his son.
25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and circumcised her son, and cast the stone at his feet, and said, Surely thou art a bloody husband unto me.
26 And the Lord spared Moses and let him go, because Zipporah, his wife, circumcised the child. And she said, Thou art a bloody husband. And Moses was ashamed, and hid his face from the Lord, and said, I have sinned before the Lord.
27 And the Lord said unto Aaron, go into the wilderness to meet Moses, and he went and met him, in the mount of God; in the mount where God appeared unto him; and Aaron kissed him.

Why do you and I fight against our reality (i.e. our brokenness, sin, evil, addictions, weakness, vulnerability)? I have my ideas, but what are yours? And according to the message on Sunday, what do we lose when keep holding tight to the illusion of respectability?

The reality is that I am a sinner. The real reality is that he hide our sin from others. We all have addictions and earthly weaknesses. Are we called to proclaim our sin? I think we only have our name and our honor – without that very little is left. Moses’ sin was known by many and he fled. I feel that many times if people knew our sin- they would cast us out as well. I think if people who say they are Christians would be able to look past our sin as God does on behalf of His son Jesus, it would be easier to become humble in the face of our peers, but the reality is we are all flawed and we only see what we want to see. We are wiped clean by the blood of Jesus and that is my reality. I am able to ask forgiveness from the Lord and go to my transgressors 7x77 & ask for their forgiveness.
I think that if there was a fellow Christian who could help us hold ourselves accountable for our sin that would be both spiritually healthy and humbleing all at the same time. I think it should be someone outside your family who was a completely unbiased opinion and is truthful unto themselves and others.