February 13, 2024

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4.14-16)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

So, what happened to that infant tossed back and forth in the waves of the Nile, blown here and there by the wind of teaching of those who were cunning and crafty in the monotheism of Ra? Nurtured in those formative first years of weaning at the heart of his mother, the whispers of Yahweh Elohim pierced deep into the sub-consciousness of his being. This was a man who was none by God before he was formed in the womb. He was fearfully and wonderfully made. He lived a life of choices and opportunities that were not extended to those who were his own people- the Hebrews in the Land of Goshen. He grew up to be a prince of Egypt; both feared and respected. Yet internally he was different from those who were now his “family.” What beat within him was a heart for justice and righteousness. He saw the world beyond himself. He did not see himself as the center of the world as did his “brother,” Ramses who had become Pharaoh. The day came when a decision had to be made to no longer simply “float through life.” He put his anchor of morality and justice down into the depths of the water with a passion that perhaps he had not truly felt nor explored previously. To resolve an injustice he exerted self-righteousness. In order to preserve a life, he took a life.

Now let me say promptly and succinctly that this stands in direct contrast to that point of view which Jesus presented in His own life. To resolve the injustice of sin, He exerted the power of righteousness. In order to preserve a life, He gave His own. He put His anchor of morality and justice down into the depths of God’s mercy and grace. He trusted in the Word of the Lord with every fiber of His being. Of course, Jesus was the Son of God and had dwelt in “spirit and in truth” for all eternity in the presence of the authentic Word of God. For Him there was no other choice but to do the will of Him who sent Him into the world on earth to live there as He lived in Heaven. No one could know this life but Jesus Christ Himself. Setting that framework of understanding, let us return to Moses who was sentenced to death in the wilderness. As would be practiced later by the Hebrews in the Promised Land, Moses became the scapegoat upon which the sins of the people would be laid. He would be exiled and thus the problems of the land became someone else’s problems. Pharaoh was “exonerated” for the injustice done to the Hebrew slaves which Moses had stood against. In a manner of speaking, he laid down his own life for the sake of one man. That sacrifice of his position as a prince of Egypt became the blessing of a nation in exile to be restored to their Promised Land. This land was theirs because of the faith commitment which God established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was to be their land again as if it had always been theirs and would continue to be theirs forever.

Now Moses was cast in the vast desert sea. He would be sentenced to be a wanderer until the day he died. But, that day was not to be soon. there would be another generation to pass before he passed. He found his anchor at Sinai where tending his father-in-law’s flocks he experienced the very real presence of God. He was no longer an infant dependent on others. He was a man called by God. He was no longer a ship without a rudder but a captain with a plan. His sails did not flutter in the winds to be captured by the currents of opinion. He was a man with a word, a promise and a mission from God: set My people free; let My people go. He did not speak for himself but for the God of his salvation. It would be the salvation of the people out of which he had been delivered and restored. He is an example to each of us how our own lives are to be lived. We must surrender the past and grasp the future that is given to us each day. We are to align ourselves with the word, anchor ourselves with the rock of faith and set the course of God’s will be done in us and through us for the sake of His people who thus become our own. This is living the worthy life to which we have been called.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit spoke us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.