ON THE VANGUARD

STANDING ON A PROMISE
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country…Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”’”
Exodus 6:1,6

As is God’s way, salvation is birthed just when the enemy believes he has won. Moses was no exception. Conceived within the years of Hebrew slavery, Moses was born to a Levite family. The Pharaoh had give orders that for every Hebrew boy born, the Egyptians were to deny him life by throwing him into the Nile. Moses’ parents, though, chose to hide him for three months. When they could conceal him no longer, they placed the child in a papyrus weaved basket and set it gently in the Nile. God allowed the delivery of Moses to Pharaoh’s daughter, which would pave the way for the deliverance of His chosen people.
First, though, Moses had to come to grips with what God was calling him to; his destiny. The Bible records the scene at the burning bush with Moses giving God every reason for why he was incapable of such a great task. Yet with every excuse, God answered Moses with a faith building reply. I will be with you, Moses. I am who I am, Moses. I have watched over my people Moses, and am sending you. My signs and wonders will follow you, Moses, and I will help you speak. Joel Osteen writes on this, “With these questions, God was reminding Moses, ‘I have already put in you exactly what you need. Now draw out what I have given you and use it for my honor, for the good of your family, your friends, and your own good.’” In order for Moses to become tenacious against Pharaoh, he first had to catch the tenacity God was charging him with.
With instruction by God Himself, Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh and made God’s plea. Their request was bold, firm, and determined, but nevertheless they demanded the freedom of God’s people. Pharaoh knew the gods of his own culture and beliefs, but he did not know or associate with the God of Israel. He responded by questioning, “Who is this God that I should obey?” His response showed a lack of concern for the needs of the Jews. The short lived confrontation of Moses and Aaron ended with a blunt negative answer and a lack of utensils to complete the chore of brick making. Yet still, Moses was tenacious.
Time after time Moses and Aaron returned to Pharaoh and presented God’s plea. Time after time they continued to experience Pharaoh’s hardened heart. Why would they return? Why would they constantly face rejection? Why allow themselves to be despised by the same people they were trying to free? They returned over and over because they stood on God’s promise.
The promise of God finally came to a head. After four hundred years of slavery, God’s mighty hand of signs and wonders, ten plagues, and the tenacity of Moses, the Israelites were going home.
God could have used anyone, but He chose to use a man full of flaws. Doubt, fear, stuttering, these qualities didn’t matter to God. God became the mouth and strength that Moses needed to stand obstinate before Pharaoh to the end. Moses was raised up to deliver the Israelites to the Promised Land. Let us not forget Galatians 6:9, which serves to remind us that we should not become weary in well doing, for in time our harvest will come.
Moses was raised up in the ways of Egypt, but in the end served God. He denied himself the comfort and pleasure of a sinful nation and by faith sought after the reward of following God (Heb 11:25-26). Inspired and anointed as a leader of many, the tenacity of Moses cannot go unseen. But that same passion, that same tenacity, lives in you and me. We too must allow ourselves to become tenacious and not back down against our pharaohs. Each one of us daily must stand up and declare our freedom. Temptations, bondages, schemes, and traps are all around us just waiting to enslave us. But in God’s mighty name, and under His blood, we can stand up against our Pharaoh, our addiction, our life draining, breath stealing monster and assert our salvation. Now declare that the enemy let you, God’s child, go, and join me ON THE VANGUARD!