The Story of Moses
Have you heard of the story of Moses?
A long time ago, all children of a certain age were ordered to be killed by the Pharaoh, but Moses’ mother hid her son & eventually placed him on the river, in a basket (sealed to keep out the water) as a last effort to keep her son alive. (Starting in Exodus 1-Exodus 15, you can find the story of Moses & the Passover.)
As the basket floated down the river, followed by the watching eyes of Moses’ older sister, Pharaoh’s daughter found him, & having compassion for the small child, took him in as her own.
Moses’ sister boldly stepped out of hiding & offered their mother as a potential nurse maid for him, allowing him to stay near to his birth mother in his early years.
But Moses grew up in the palace, surrounded by wealth, watching his own people enslaved by his adopted grandfather.
Some Context to the Story
But Moses’ native people, the Israelites, were not always enslaved to Egypt… they had once been invited in amicably & given lush farmland to call their new home. They were welcomed in because of their ancestor Joseph’s good works, led by God’s plan. (Starting in Genesis 37, with the offering of the land in Genesis 47)
In a time of great famine, Joseph (with God’s help & guidance) helped to allocate resources to keep the Egyptians & neighboring lands from a harsh death & as a reward of gratitude, the pharaoh at that time welcomed Moses’ people (before Moses’ time) & much farmland became their new homes.
But, when that pharaoh passed away, a newer pharaoh began to feel threatened by their growing numbers, & in order to prevent an eventual perceived takeover (ie paranoia & fear), he enslaved the people of Israel (Moses’ people).
A Torn Heart
And so, Moses grew up in luxury watching his people being harshly mistreated, whom he no doubt knew about because of his mother who had helped serve as his nursemaid.
He loathed the situation & his heart undoubtedly felt in constant battle between his comfort & their turmoil.
But he eventually ran away from home, after killing a guard that he witnessed mistreating one of his fellow people… he could no longer ignore their pain.
And while on the run, God got a hold of his heart, directing him not to run away, but to head right back to the Pharaoh & tell Him to “let my people go!”
After Moses expressed insecurity of his weakness in speech, God offered Aaron to accompany him.
So That God May be Glorified
This began the dance of Moses presenting to the Pharaoh his plea to “let his people go!” only to be met with a firm, “NO” from the Pharaoh.
Following each “NO,” from the Pharaoh, God would present a plague of some sort, from grasshoppers that ate the crops, to locusts that invaded even the palace, to frogs, to rivers & water turned to blood. But still, the Pharaoh’s heart was hardened & although he seemed to waiver in his resolve occasionally, he always went back on his word & ended with another firm, “NO.”
Until the final response from God: the angel of death who would kill off every firstborn male among man & beast… Otherwise known as “the Passover,” because God added a way out with this one.
God Provided a Way Out
Whoever killed a lamb & placed its blood on their doorposts, everyone within its walls would be spared… aka Passed Over.
It didn’t matter their merit. The angel didn’t go in each house to see the people prove something first.
The blood of the lamb was all-sufficient.
God Doesn’t Look at the Merit within Us—With Jesus
But what I want to focus on right here & now is the blood of the lamb, symbolic of the blood shed by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, on our behalf.
We will all face judgement before God at our death.
… In other words, the angel of death is coming.
… But the blood of this Lamb of God (AKA Jesus Christ) is also ALL-sufficient.
And if we ACCEPT His blood offered on OUR behalf, covering our life with His sacrifice, then the same goes for us that there is no “looking inside us to see if there is merit” or “checking for proof that we’re deserving.”
His shed blood is sufficient.
His innocence covers our guilt.
… If we accept His blood to cover us.
We All Deserve Hell… But JESUS
The consequences we will face upon death, as we face the judgement of God, is no respecter of persons… in other words, it doesn’t look at whether we’re a good person or whether we’re well-liked by our peers… whether we’ve “done a lot of good” or whether we haven’t even bothered to try… whether we’re a success or perceived failure.
We all deserve the guilty verdict.
We all deserve to face the angel of death.
We all deserve Hell.
But.
But, JESUS CHRIST, the LAMB of GOD died on our behalf so that HIS blood could cover us, telling that judgement & deserved punishment to PASS OVER us.
Don’t Wait… Don’t Be Fooled… Don’t Forget the Blood of Jesus
So, the question is not whether you feel you have done “enough”, but whether you have been obedient in taking seriously God’s “way out” as He offered during the Passover in Moses’ time. AKA, the blood of the Lamb to cover YOU.
Don’t wait until tomorrow, for you to sin “one more time,” as you may not be offered a tomorrow to do so.
Don’t let Satan continue to lure you in with sin that seems shiny, appealing, & fun, but is littered with fine print consequences that keep you trapped & imprisoned by lusts of your heart.
Don’t let your deceitful heart fool you into thinking it knows better than God Almighty.
Don’t give room for missing out on a chance to have Jesus’ blood cover your life, because I promise you that the judgement day will come whether you wait or not.
Be prepared.
Let His Blood Cover You
Accept Jesus as Lord of your life.
Ask Him to forgive you & make you whole.
Turn from you sins (even the “not-so-bad” ones that are easy for you to justify or excuse).
Be set free.
Be PASSED OVER when judgement day arrives.
And be welcomed into Heaven, where there is no more sorrow or pain, no more tears… only rejoicing & wholeness & complete, pure contentment & peace.
This earth is our temporary home. Where will your permanent home be?
Shine HOPE by accepting the blood of Jesus & telling others about this “way out” that God offers to EVERY single person who will accept it!
Coming Next Week
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Silver Medallion Necklace
This textured silver-tone chain from India can be worn separately or layered with other necklaces from our One World Collection. The uniquely textured pendant adds the perfect artistic touch. Three length options allow you to choose your comfort & style. Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.
In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable Artisans in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.
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