As the sermon title not-so-subtly alludes, this passage is quite political. But not in the way folks might assume. While it does discuss political policies that the Israelites have embraced, ultimately the text shows God to be critical of those policies. In many ways this passage is a polemic against domestic and foreign dealings that don’t defer to God and yield to His way. But that doesn’t mean God is apolitical. It would seem from this text and elsewhere that He is anything but!
In our passage this morning we see the Israelites wandering once again from God. The hard truth, however, is that everyone in some way or another has strayed or wandered from Him. But because of who He is and what He’s done, He is still God and He is still good! God is still God even when His people wander. But the idea is never that we continue to wander away from Him.
One day … God will set, as NT Wright loves to say, “the world to rights.” This passage speaks of that most glorious day! Interestingly, we actually know a bit about that day. Has that “day” been fully realized. No. But in the coming of Jesus, we have a foretaste of that day! It is in a sense both now and not yet.
God chooses to display his sovereign might through imperfect people like Moses. The Moses we find in Exodus 4 is much different than the one found in Exodus 2. He has been shaped by his time in the wilderness and his experience with God. In this we discover that the might of God almost always flows through obedience rooted in faith. God pulls Moses away from his selfdoubt and anxiety toward faithful obedience through which God will use Moses powerfully. God wants to use us. He asks us to stopping looking at ourselves and to look up toward Him.
So we start fresh in 2023 hopefully with some realistic and stretching expectations to direct us in our day-by-day life journey with Christ. Heed His promise as the One who is in control of each step on that pathway. BE all those things He expects of you and desires for you as you expectantly pursue Him. Be…. Informed, Concerned, Ready and Faithful
God is the both the SOURCE of joy and the GIVER of joy. While circumstances may IMPACT your joy, they need not STEAL your joy.
We often try to find peace through our circumstances, but peace only comes as a gift from the Lord of peace and then we carry his peace into our circumstances. Whether it is relational peace or emotional peace that we need, they both flow from first having peace with God and then trusting him to be who he is and to do what he needs to do to experience his peace at all times and in all ways.
(Luke 18:18-30/Mathew 28:16-20/Acts 1:6/Mark 1:1/Philippians 2:9-11/Psalm 13/Romans 1:11-15/John 6:68)
Jesus is a friend of sinners and will welcome all who are willing to receive His invitation. Humble people realize that they are sinners, and they also receive the friendship of Jesus
Jesus is the Lord of the harvest and He calls us to join Him in His harvest mission.