As mentioned before, we at Waratah have been on a journey thru the story of Moses. Although this is the longest and most detailed series I have yet done, such is the depth of the source material (the Scriptures) there is still a bunch of stuff that just hasn’t beem able to fit in sermons.

I thought here on the blog would be a great place to share with you some of the really cool things that have come up as I’ve been hammering away at the research that haven’t made the ‘cut’. By the way, it might be handy to have your bible with you to reference as we go. Otherwise, this’ll be thousands of words long!

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• In relation to Exodus 1:11 where Pharaoh appoints slave drivers: God doesn’t appoint slave drivers; evil (Satan) does, and not because he needs anything built but because he wants to eradicate and exterminate. Yet how many people see God as the one who appoints slave drivers?
• In relation to the midwives in Exodus 1:17: it’s easy to cringe when Christians say ‘no’ to culturally accepted norms. We hate being cringed at so we come up with naturalistic arguments instead of telling the truth: we say no to some things because we fear God more than man. However, as much as we might want to dialogue, their comes a time when the prevailing worldview becomes so evil that to imagine there is any middle ground is wishful thinking.
• In relation to the midwives in Ex 1:19-20: Miracles happen where there is courage. Satan would have God’s people seek after comfort above all things because he is terrified of what might happen if and when God’s people grow in courage. Courage grows when you’re ‘up against it’
• In relation to Ex 2:11, Moses doing it his way; The doing of God’s will our way leads to a critical disconnect. Jesus is the picture of the very opposite: the purest person in history sitting among the ‘mudpits’ of humanity.
• In relation to Ex 2:13 where Moses goes out again to his people: It’s easy to see the conflict of others as opportunity for our influence to grow. But God makes it so we don’t have to be ‘strategic’.
• The world’s ways seem wise precisely because they match up with our mortal point of view. looking at it from God’s point of view reveals the foolishness of so much that happens.
• In relation to Ex 2:15: It seems that the greatest prophets are prepared by God to be prophets in the wilderness. Two things combine to make it an effective school to hear God’s voice: time and dead silence, the most terrifying recipe to the distracted mind.
• In relation to Ex 2:17 by the well: If Moses ran from this battle he would have missed God’s provision. Courage is a doorway to releasing God’s provision.
• In relation to Ex 2:22 and the birth of Gershom. The meaning of Gershom’s name (foreigner in a foreign land) is interesting because it comes early on in his experience. We assume it is in relation to the wilderness, but Moses has only been there a short time relatively speaking.  Moreover, he now has a family. What if he’s referring to Egypt? The reality is, Egypt is where he was a foreigner but it took the bottom to fall out of his life for him to realise it. Home/Eden is where God is, or at least where he is openly acknowledged, a place becomes foreign when he withdraws his presence. Maybe the litmus test of our walk with God is what feels foreign vs what feels like home?
• In relation to Ex 2:23: ‘years passed’ is a telling phrase; that’s 40 years. Some Israelites would have died waiting for God to respond to their cry. It’s got to be said that Israel’s faith survived the idea that in spite of suffering, God will not be rushed in his plans.
• God meets Moses in the middle of the wilderness, but we tend to want life lived at best on the fringes of it.
• In relation to Ex 3:5-7. It seems the Word of God directly spoken to us is never really ‘expected’. We are surprised to hear from God though he promises to speak. Then we are surprised by the fact that we are surprised.
• It’s quite simple really, Moses is called by God to overcome his reluctance. Reluctance is just self-protection dressed up as common sense.
• In relation to the first word of Ex 3:9: “LOOK!”: God is telling Moses (and us) to start paying attention to how much he is paying attention to his people. Thus prayer is the pathway to effective ministry not least because it is the pathway to true awareness.
• It’s no wonder we are often shallow. In a world obsessed with sharing everything rather than listening to anything; we stumble upon the unwanted revelation that real depth comes from listening, and 90% of listening is contemplation resisting the urge to contribute its own insights to a conversation.
• In relation to Ex 3:12: God answers protest, be it grounded in ignorance or arrogance with (stunningly) assurance, because he knows where the protests come from; fear.
• The promises of God are the stepping stones to our new identity in him; to finding out who we really are.
• If fear and idolatry are two sides of the same coin then so also is peace and worship. God sows peace into a person’s life so that he may be worshipped. We’ll lose our peace if we don’t know what to do with it.

So, yeah will cover chapter 4 to 6 in a few weeks time.

Bless ya:)