God's Power is Beyond What We Can Ask or Imagine
INTERESTING FACTS : The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament with 39 books and the New Testament with 27 books. It was written in two different time periods. The New Testament was written over a period of about 60 years, following the death and resurrection of Christ. The Old Testament was written from the time of Moses up to about four hundred years before Jesus was born, when the "book" (scroll) of Malachi was written. Malachi was the last book to be written in the Old Testament[1].
DAILY READING : [EXODUS 1 -3]
TEXT : Exo 2:5- And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. Exo 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Exo 2:7- Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? Exo 2:8- And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. Exo 2:9- And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
THEME : GOD'S PROTECTION
As we leave the Book of Genesis, one further observation on the life of Joseph. His two grim trials - the rejection by his brothers and the false allegation by Potiphar's wife - have similarities. They are comparable or related in this way - they involved false accusations, dismissal, and abandoning Joseph. In both cases, he suffered innocently and was separated and alone. We may infer from this that for the purpose God had ordained for Joseph, these tests were necessary to prepare him to be a world leader in a difficult period of history. Remember, leaders have enormous responsibilities, and preparation is essential. It seems clear that Joseph's trial had parallels that would lead us to assume he needed these lessons to be the man God wanted. Of course, this is true of us as well. God designs our trials as believers to make us the man or woman God has in mind for us.
In the Book of Exodus, Joseph and his generation are gone, and we are introduced to one of the Bible's most important characters - Moses. Like Joseph, God will test him before he leads the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Interestingly, he is rejected by the people God calls him to lead, and this is an added "insult" to the affliction of his exile at the hands of Pharaoh. Then, while in the desert living a modest life as a shepherd, he meets God, and the call on his life as the deliverer of God's people begins.
The fact the bush Moses sees burning is not consumed fascinates him, and it is here that he receives his commission. God identifies himself as "I AM that I AM," the Creator who does not depend on anything outside Himself for His being. The Hebrew expression means to "to be," or "to become." God is the LORD of the Old Testament. He is the self-existent One who never had a beginning and will never have an end. As such, He will always "be" what we need Him to be in our lives. Therefore, we have the compound names of Jehovah [LORD] such as Jehovah - Nissi [the LORD our banner]. Or He is Jehovah-Shalom [the LORD our peace]. Again, He is Jehovah-Rapha [the LORD our Healer]. There are many such names for God as the LORD. All of them mean that He [alone] is the solution to our needs. Therefore, when Moses meets Him as the "I AM that I AM" he meets him as self-existent One.
TRUTH FOR TODAY : GOD'S POWER IS BEYOND WHAT WE CAN ASK OR IMAGINE!
It is amazing that during an intense period of the destruction of the Jews, God "hides" His servant in an "ark" only to have him rescued by the Pharaoh's daughter. Then, Moses sister who has been watching him float down the river, suggests to Pharaoh's daughter to get a Hebrew woman to raise Moses. Of course, she gets Moses mother, and Moses mother not only raises her son, but also gets a salary for doing so! Who but God could do such an encouraging and astounding work?
When Jesus was examined by the Pharisees about his forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery and other questions that came from that debate, the Scriptures state - "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. [Joh 8:58 - 59] Here, the founder of Christianity clearly identifies Himself as God, the LORD of the Old Testament. This is why the Jews wanted to stone Him. They knew to what He referred, that is - "I am God." Jesus clearly said that before Abraham came into existence, He [Jesus] always was and always will be. Again, in Revelation Jesus says - "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." [Rev. 1:18] Four times in Revelation Jesus identifies Himself with the LORD of the Old Testament as the beginning and end. He is the second person of the triune Godhead. "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he" [Isa_41:4]
We as Christians have a Leader who is more than a man like Moses. We have the LORD of Moses. Further, He can do more than we ever thought or imagined if we believe. This is why Apostle Paul wrote under the guidance of the Holy Spirit - "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us- Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. [Eph. 3:20 - 21] Moses led the Jews through Christ, the LORD. Best of all, Christ leads us all to a world that will have no end. Let us be encouraged by the truth of Scripture and the overwhelming power of the LORD!
