Text: Exodus 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exodus 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Message
The story of Moses and that of Jesus is similar, how?
Moses was born to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt and Jesus was born a saviour of mankind from sin and damnation. Also, there was no story about the boyhood of Jesus and that of Moses.
What is a Theophany?
This is an experience where God unexpectedly interrupts or encroaches upon the ordinary affairs of life. While you are thinking that you have arrived or your life is going the way you want it to go or perhaps even better, God can step in with a Theophany suddenly. Theophanies are Gods way of redirecting our lives in a direction he has ordained for us from the beginning. Theophanies are not what we prayed for, most times it is unpleasant, uncomfortable but one thing is sure, it always without fail takes us to a better fulfilling life if we trust and obey God’s leading.
We are looking at Moses as a case study….raised up in the Palace of Pharaoh as a Prince of Egypt but forced into exile after killing an Egyptian Task master, he moved to Midian where he got married, lived the life of a Shepherd, he had many children, lived a comfortable relaxed life, he grew old and got to the age of retirement, Moses said; my life has been good and am satisfied but God had another plan. God intruded with a Theophany, Moses did not invite this intrusion, this was not what Moses wanted. Sometimes we make our own plans, achieve our dreams and goals without putting God in the equation but God always has his own plans.
One day as Moses was tending sheep he saw a burning bush. In Ex 3 the bush was on fire but the bush was not consumed. Sometimes God shifts our focus by doing the unbelievable in our lives. For years Moses had focused on going round the mountain and not up the mountain, his attention was only on his work, his family etc and never on God until God did the unbelievable to catch his attention, it is my prayer that as you read this sermon you will have an encounter that will shift your focus in Jesus name.
Moses decided to visit this strange sight and that decision radically changed his life…. When we begin to shift our focus to God we get to that place where we begin to experience a turning point in our lives drastically
Prayer: father give me the grace to take decisions that will change my life positively in Jesus name.
Ex 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
As he approached the mountain he heard his name being called, every time we draw close to God, we are able to hear him call our names
Ex 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
God asked him to remove his sandals from his feet….. The lesson here is that as we draw closer, God is quick to make us understand that he is a holy God and for us to walk with him we must come clean.
Ex 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
God said; ” I have seen the misery of my people, I have heard their cry, I know their sufferings, these words prove that God does hear the cry of his people, God has a special ear for the oppressed. God knows the aching heart of every human being, God knows our occasional fears of dying, fears of emptiness and loneliness etc
Moses was certainly happy to hear this good news from God that he cares but like most of us we want to know what God will do about it, I mean, its not just enough that we know God cares, we usually want to know what God will do about it.
But at this point the real message of Theophany is clear and surprising…. God is saying, it is not about what am going to do, its about what we are going to do about it, he said to moses; I am calling you to confront the oppressor, you have a part to play in bringing Gods plan for your life into manifestation
God said to moses, you are to speak strong words to pharaoh, to lead my people out of Egypt. See you next week with part three of this series. God bless you.
Pray these prayers
1. Father I know you have a plan for my life, please let your plan begin to materialise in Jesus name
2. O lord, I receive a turning point encounter this week in Jesus name
3. O lord arise and show your power in my life today in Jesus name
4. Lord, please destroy every yoke of oppression and slavery over my life now in Jesus name
5. O lord starting from today let the sword fall from the hand of Pharaoh in Jesus name.
