Growin' Up Gregory

God has recently instructed Moses to lead the people out of Sinai toward the land He has promised them.  But, God has sent them out with an angel and told Moses that He would no longer be with the people.  How would Moses respond when the one who called him to this task at the burning bush and who has led him this entire way was now deserting him?  We will see that Moses' faith and relationship with God had grown so close that he was able to ask the hard questions, the serious questions, about where their relationship stood and if God would continue to lead them or not. Read Exodus 33:12-16. Look at what Moses asked God for in v13: "Show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight."  'Moses had been speaking with God on a more intimate level than anyone in human history save Adam and Eve before the Fall.'  Yet he was still pursuing God's presences, still pursuing getting to know God better.  One day, hopefully you gra...

Last week we looked at the story of The Golden Calf and how the people allowed an inanimate object take God's place of priority and worship in their lives.  Now in Exodus 33, the fallout of idolatry and sin continues for the Israelites. The Lord said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.' "  God then promised Moses to send an angel before the people to drive out the current inhabitants of the land (Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites).  The Lord continues, "Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."  (Exodus 33:1-3) Following the Israelites idolatry, God sent a plague on the people in Exodus 32:35.  This plague (if in the form of a disease) like...

Here we are.  Moses is up on the mountain getting instruction from the Lord.  Meanwhile, the Israelite people have rebelled and turned their back on God asking Aaron to build them an idol to worship.  They have completely tossed Moses and God to the side and bowed down to a golden calf.  God is furious at the people to say the least and has told Moses that He plans to destroy them and start over and "make a great nation of you (Moses)." (Ex 32:10)  If you are one of these Israelites, you just turned your back on God.  He knows.  He's mad.  What do you want to happen next?  Moses begins to plead with the Lord, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume (destroy) them from the face of the earth?'  Turn from your bur...

In Moses' absence, we have seen the Israelites quickly turn away from God and begin to form idols to worship instead of remembering the commands and promises of the one true God.  So what happens next?  What happens once we begin to idolize something and place it over God in our life? In Exodus 32:7-10, as the people are worshipping the golden calf at the base of the mountain, the Lord says to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.  They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.  They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel!' "  The Lord continues, "I have seen this people and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." A lot of times, when Thomas is ...

Think about your favorite athlete, TV personality, or celebrity.  It could be a Super Bowl winning quarterback, a player with an enviable work ethic, or someone with success and popularity beyond our wildest dreams.  Think about what it would be like to hang out with someone like this.  Now ask yourself, "Do I tend to idolize individuals like this or put them on a pedestal?" It's fine and good to have role models and to appreciate someone's talent and work ethic.  But there is a difference between appreciation and worship.  How do these athletes and celebrities compare to God?  Does he value them more because of their name or position?  Remember that God is the only one deserving of our worship and we need to ask Him to remove any idols from our lives.  Most church people would scoff at the notion that they have an idol.  But how does it start?  Where does it go?  And what are the consequences?  Let's see how this played ou...

We've seen God's Ten Commandments that tell us how to live in relationship with him and observe the Sabbath.  Now let's look at what he says about how we are to live in relationship to each other. 5. "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ex 20:12 This is the first commandment given to us regarding our relationships with others.  Why would God place it first?  Because it shows that the family unit is also part of God's creation.  Honoring our parents is a way of showing that we accept and believe in God's design for the family.  Parents are to raise, support, and disciple their children.  But even if they do not, children are still to respect and honor their authority.  We do this by treating our parents with respect now and also by caring for them when the roles are reversed and they are in need of care in their elderly years.  This is also the only command ...

We saw that the first three of the Ten Commandments centered on our view and relationship with God.  In His fourth commandment, He gives us instruction that has been preached, debated, practiced, and discussed for centuries. 4.  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant." - Ex 20:8-10 God established the rhythm of life at creation by working the first six days and then resting on the seventh.  No, God did not need to rest, but He rested in order to show us that is necessary for both functionality and enjoyment.  This day of rest also serves as a reminder for both the people of Israel and for us that we are not sustained by our works, but by the mighty hand of God. The question is often asked, 'Is the Sabbath still a command that God expec...

We have seen through the last couple posts that God has called Moses to do something that seems much too difficult for him to accomplish.  Read Parts 1 and 2 if you haven't already as they pretty much intro this post. Prior to picking up with Moses' next excuse, God gave him several signs in Exodus 4:1-9.  He turned Moses' staff into a serpent, then back to a staff; turned Moses' hand leprous by placing it into his cloak then restoring it in the same manner; then told Moses that if the people would not listen and believe these signs that he could take water from the Nile and pour it on the ground and it would become blood. Yet after not only witnessing, but performing these miraculous signs through God, Moses continues with the excuses.  In Exodus 4:10, Moses says to the Lord, "I am not eloquent...I am slow of speech and of tongue."  God responds to Moses by asking, "Who has made man's mouth?  Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind?  Is ...

When God called Moses to take on the task of leading His people out of Egypt, Moses began giving God excuses, questioning himself and the Lord.  We often begin to find excuses as to why we can't do something that seems to challenging or isn't our greatest passion.  And just as God did with Moses, He answers our questions and concerns today. The first question Moses posed to God in Exodus 3:11 was, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"  God's answer to Moses had nothing to do with Moses' skills.  God simply said, "I will be with you."  The answer to Moses' question of 'Why me?' was more dependent on God's presence for its power than on the abilities of Moses.  God still works that way in people today.  He doesn't choose the greatest and mightiest to use.  God uses regular ordinary people to show His greatness, not ours.  As long as God is with you, you can do it, you can get through...

Have you ever been asked to do something that seemed impossible, or that you felt totally inadequate for?  Or perhaps there is a challenge that you just don't see how you can complete or accomplish the goals that have been set?  It could be anything; a job offer, a duty or task being assigned to you at work, a test coming up, or a physical challenge.  This can sometimes leave us wondering how we are supposed to go on.  We may seek out motivational and inspirational quotes and image to help us trudge along and keep moving forward, all the while still feeling like we are doomed to fail.  In Exodus 3:10, Moses was given such a task.  He was asked to go to the Pharaoh and lead the Israelites, who were being used as slave labor at the time, out of Egypt.  Let's look at who Moses was when asked to do this: -  He was living in exile in the wilderness having fled from Egypt. -  He had fled Egypt for killing an Egyptian out of anger -...