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“But he said, ‘O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send’ ” (Exodus 4:13).
This is Moses’ last statement in His argument with God about his not being the one whom God should send to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. He has already said to God, “Who am I that I should go?”, “What shall I say to them?”, “Suppose they will not believe me?”, and “But I am slow of speech.” So here he just says, Send someone else! Moses was going to have to break out of his comfort zone to do what God told him to do. He was comfortable living in the desert and tending the sheep of his father-in-law. To do what God wanted, he had to give all of that up, go back to the palace in which he had grown up, and appear before Pharoah as an adversary. The lesson is that it isn’t always comfortable to follow God’s plan. Some have had to give up family, friends, and/or lifestyle to obey the gospel. Sometimes we have to break out of our comfort zone to remain faithful and be a dedicated worker for the Lord, even if we, like Moses, have feelings of uncertainty about the situation. We do so because we know what God wants and because we realize the reward will be worth it someday. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).
Once again, Jesus ties together some major components of the doctrine He taught before His death and promoted through the apostles and believers who came after Him: keeping commandments and loving are totally intertwined. Modern religious teaching sometimes elevates one above the other: it elevates the quality of love but decries the idea that obeying commandments is a part of our relationship with Him. To maintain a relationship with Jesus and to realize the love of the Father, we are bound by Jesus’ words here to love Him and to adhere to the teaching provided in scripture. “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’.”” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Even though the Apostle Paul is teaching about the corrupting influence of the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection, the principle he sets forth is a universal one that is supported by other scriptures. “Company” refers to every day associations, and “habits” refers to everyday practices and beliefs. The Corinthians are to be aware that associating with these false teachers can have a corrupting influence on them and lead them into sin. The message for us is a powerful one: when anyone promotes a doctrine—any doctrine—that is not consistent with teaching in the New Testament, we are to beware—we are to note the ways in which it contradicts scriptural teaching and avoid it. As well, we are to avoid associating with those who teach such a doctrine. If we allow them to, they will have a negative influence on our lives and can ultimately cause us to lose our souls. |
Joe NortonArchives
June 2023
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