THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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when th e circum stances demanded it, th e very words w ith which to answer our opposers, and did He no t promise, and has He no t fulfilled th e promise, of th e presence of th a t o ther Com fo rter, One who would be our Advo cate, and our “ S tand-by-er?” W ith th is b it of ancient and tru e history before us, shall we no t follow out Moses’ example, and p u t ourselves in God’s hand, to be used by H im where and when and how He sees fit? There are th ree g rea t periods in Moses’ life; fo rty years of education; fo rty years in Egypt; fo rty years in th e w ilderness; fo rty years of service. He had th e p atern al in- HEART OP fluence, th e influence THE LESSON of Egypt, and his T. C. H o rton touch w ith God. God’s choice of men as set fo rth in His Word has never im pressed the church as it should. Not one of His apostles' was a rabbi, a scribe or a philosopher. Moses was called while shepherding; Gideon, while win now ing; E lisha, while plowing; Mat thew , while collecting taxes, and Peter, Jam es and John while fishing. Angels came to shepherds; God reveals Him self in humble ways. A thorn-bush would be th e la st place in which we would look for a m anifestation of God. Among th e w eak things, we find some of th e g reatest disclosures of Himself, — a rod; a brazen serpen t; a tabernacle; a child like Samuel; a cross. “ He h ath chosen th e weak things to confound the things th a t are m ighty” and He still does th e same, only it is h ard for the church to believe it. God is in th e common life of men and h ears the cry of His people. He heard Israel under th e cruel lash of the taskm aster. He will h ear those who are struggling ag ain st S atan ’s snares. “The heavens cannot contain H im” b u t a hum an h e a rt can hide Him. All ground
th a t looked almost impossible,— he said, ‘‘General, give me a grip of your conquering hand .“ The Christian who knows th e grip of th e nail-pierced hand, goes fo rth conquering and to conquer. 7. God revealed H imself to Moses, so th a t Moses could no longer plead ignorance. He is th e personal God — “ I am .” He is th e creato r and ru ler of th e universe and its inhabitants, tp them He is “ God.” He is “ Jehovah,” th e God of th e covenant; Of th e old covenant w ith Israel, of th e new coven a n t to all who believe .in and accept His Son Jesus, as Saviour and Lord. 8. Moses was fu rth e r strengthened by th e th ree signs, which God gave him , The rod th a t became a serpent, which was especially a sign for himself. The shepherd’s rod would become the rod of victory over th e Egyptian ser pent. The sign of th e leprous hand was intended especially for Israel, for God would cleanse Israel from h er sins and restore h er to H is chosen place for her. The changing of th e w ater into blood, •—ithe th ird sign— dealt w ith Egypt especially. The Nile god, upon whom all Egypt depended and worshipped, would be p u t to confusion by th e power of Jehovah. The beginning of the church among th e Jews a t Jeru salem on the day of Pentecost; and among th e Gentiles a t Caesarea a t th e house of Cornelius, was m arked by th e m ighty sign of th e out-pouring of th e Holy Spirit: th a t Spirit who has never since th a t day w ithdraw n H imself from th e church. 9. God provided a helper for Moses. How well He recognized th e loneliness and f ra ilty - o f one man, and sq He associated w ith Moses, his b ro th er Aaron. Did Moses plead his lack of eloquence, th en God would give him speech: was th a t assurance still insuf-! ficient, th en He would give him a spokesman (chap. 10-14). Did no t our Lord, before He le ft us in th e body, tèli us th a t it should be given us, ju st
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