The book of Exodus tells this amazing story of how
God rescued his people. A young chap called Joseph, bit of a daddy’s favourite
who liked to dress sharply, really ticks off his brothers. They dump him in the
desert and go home to tell the old man some wild animal got him. However, wanting a bit of pocket money
themselves they decide to sell their brother into slavery. Cut a long story short (the Bible can go on a
bit), Joseph saves his brothers and the whole people of Israel and leaves a
story which makes Andrew Lloyd Webber a lotta money in the West End (London not
Cairo).
The people of Israel grow and grow in numbers, so
many that the locals start to get a bit worried. Pharaoh decides all the Israelite boys should
be killed. One, called Moses, is hidden,
survives, becomes a Prince of Egypt, kills an overseer, flees and then is
called by God from a burning bush (bush fires are dangerous, as Moses is going
to find out) goes back to Egypt and
rescues the people from slavery. Wow, deep breath. Not even Eastenders and Corrie’s got a story
line as good as that!
Now Moses’ c.v. includes being a prince; good at
bossing people about and posing on the royal balcony on special days, but more
recently he’s been working as a shepherd.
Spends long periods alone and stinks of sheep. Add to this that he has an unfortunate habit
of stumbling over his words when nervous and he doesn’t add up to the sort of
leader who is going to inspire confidence when he says ‘follow me into the
desert as we look for this land God’s promised us but not told us where it is’!
Moses had to get the people from here to there. He had to cast to them a vision of how, with
a bit of faith and a bucketful of courage, life would be better if they would,
literally, break the chains that held them back. A land ‘flowing with milk and honey’ sounds
pretty good, but what happens if it all goes sour and they come to a sticky end
somewhere?
What is your vision of the promised land? What would you be willing to let go if it
meant a better future, even though that involves risk and uncertainty? Being tied to routines at least is
secure! Faith is a risky business.
Following when God calls can be life threatening and life changing. How willing are you to change your
perspective on things, or are you very comfortable where you are, thank-you
very much?
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