Moses (2) (Acts 7:30-35)

 Moses (2)

 

 

 

[Acts 7:30-35]

 

 

Last year, TIME magazine selected the 100 most influential people in the United States, and among them, the first place was not Bill Gates, not former President Clinton, nor President Bush.  It was reported to be a female talk show host named Oprah Winfrey.  The viewership of her program averages over 10 million, and Americans are moved by her every word.  If she says, ‘I visited a poor orphanage and they need help’ for just 10 seconds, the next day, tens of billions in donations arrive at that orphanage.  If she says, ‘I read this book,’ the book becomes a bestseller in the U.S. the next day.  The answer to her influence lies in the four life philosophies mentioned in her autobiography, ‘This Is My Mission’:

 

(1)    Having more than others is not a blessing, but a mission.

(2)    If there is pain greater than others, it is not suffering, but a mission.

Only those who have experienced pain can volunteer to serve those who are suffering.

(3)    If there is more excitement than others, it is not delusion, but a mission.

(4)    If there is a heavier burden than others, it is not coercion, but a mission.

       She was born as a biracial child, grew up in poverty and pain, and testified that she achieved

       her current self through studying alone, relying on Moses from the Bible.

 

A person with a sense of mission has four characteristics (Internet):

 

(1)    Because fulfilling the mission is the highest priority in life, they choose a single path.

 

Paul lived his life pursuing the goal of God's upward call in Christ Jesus, forgetting what was behind and straining toward what is ahead (Phil. 3:14).  Because they pour all their energy into one goal in front of them, they have no time to glance at what others are doing, be entangled in past regrets, or complain about current difficulties.  To a person captivated by a sense of mission, any surrounding obstacle is a target to break through, not a source of fear or complaint.  That's how Paul lived, and that's why he fulfilled his mission as an apostle preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.

(2)    They have a positive attitude toward the mission and a proactive belief in accomplishing it.

 

Therefore, Paul says, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).  With such a proactive, positive attitude, he completed the mission with a sprint like a 100-meter runner striving for the finish line.

 

(3)    A person with a sense of mission sacrifices themselves for the mission.

 

For Paul, even his own life was not considered precious in order to accomplish the mission (Acts 20:24).

 

(4)    A person with a sense of mission takes responsibility without making excuses for the results.

 

                In today's passage Acts 7:30-35, we see Moses receiving a mission. I hope that by meditating on how God raised and used Moses, you can hear the voice that God speaks to each of us.

 

First, Moses, whom God raised up and used, experienced the presence of God.

 

Wesley said this about the presence of God: ‘The best thing in the world is the fact that God is with us.’  What are the benefits of living in the presence of God?  The benefits we gain when living in the presence of God are truly remarkable.  First, our faith comes alive and moves powerfully in all aspects of our lives, especially when we are in difficulties.  As we become accustomed to living by faith, we can realize that God is near, even if we just turn our heads a little.  And eventually, we not only believe in God, but we can see and experience God with our own eyes.  Living in the presence of God gives us hope and strengthens us even more.  Our hope grows in proportion to our knowledge of knowing God, becoming more firm and our lives become filled with joy.  When living in the presence of God, our will is set on fire with God's love.  God's love completely consumes everything that opposes the will of God.  In the presence of God, we come to know God more, love God more, serve God more, praise God more, and worship God more.  However, the problem is that there are too many people who believe in the existence of God but do not believe in the presence of God.  Furthermore, there are even fewer people who actually live in the presence of God.  Those who strive to enter into the presence of God are even fewer.  If only people realized the amazing and great benefits that come from the presence of God, there would be no reason not to seek it (Internet).

 

In Acts 7:30, we read about Moses, who fled from Egypt and became a stranger in the land of Midian.  After living in Egypt for 40 years, God appeared to him when the appointed time of 40 years in Midian was fulfilled (v. 30).  While living as a stranger in Midian for 40 years, God appeared to him in a burning bush.  Here, the "burning bush" symbolizes 'Israel,' and the "flame" represents the 'hardships' that the people were enduring at that time (Park).  Just as the fire clung to the bush but did not consume it, Israel, despite suffering hardships due to the Egyptians, did not completely perish. It was at this moment that God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai.  In other words, when the Israelites were flourishing in Egypt but also experiencing suffering and hardship, God caused Moses to be born.  However, it was only after 80 years had passed that God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai.  Moses approached the burning bush on Mount Sinai, which symbolized Israel, and the flame symbolized the hardships that the people were going through at that time (Park).  When Moses approached to investigate, he heard the voice of the Lord (v. 31).  The Lord said to him, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (v. 32).  When Moses heard this voice of the Lord, he was afraid to look up (v. 32).   At that moment, God spoke to Moses and said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.  I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt" (vㅍ. 33-34).  From this passage, we can learn four lessons about the presence of God:

 

(1)    We should seek the presence of God when we are in distress.

 

The place where God appeared to Moses was in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, specifically within the burning bush of thorns (v. 30).  An interesting point is that the term "Mount Sinai" means the "mountain of thorns."  This means that God appeared within the burning bush of thorns.  When we consider the repeated mention of "thorns," it signifies that God is not indifferent to our suffering when we are going through hardships.  He sees our afflictions and hears our cries, and thus, He comes down to rescue us.  Look at verse 34: "I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt... and have come down to set them free ...."  This reminds me of what the Apostle Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7 about the "thorn in the flesh."  He said that God allowed this thorn in his flesh to prevent him from becoming conceited. He prayed to the Lord three times to take it away, but the Lord's response was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cori. 12:9).  Our Lord is the same God who provides us with sufficient grace even when we are suffering due to various forms of "thorns" in this world.

 

(2)    To those who seek God's presence, our Lord will speak to them.

 

When Moses approached the burning bush on Mount Sinai, which symbolized Israel, he heard the voice of the Lord (Acts 7:31).  We should always seek God's presence, especially when we are in distress.  Therefore, we must draw nearer to the Lord, and we must seek to hear His voice.  Henry Nouwen, in his book "The Way of the Heart," speaks about the spirituality of the desert fathers who lived in the deserts of Egypt in the 4th and 5th centuries.  He says, ‘Solitude is not simply a means to an end. Solitude is its own end.  Silence is its own speaking’ (Nowen).  These desert fathers did not consider solitude as being alone, but rather being with God, and they did not view silence as not speaking, but as listening to God.  Are we truly pursuing this solitude and silence, or have we not yet encountered the crisis in our prayer life?  This crisis arises when our hearts are far from God, and our intellect (mind) is filled with notions about God (Nouwen).  Our confession should be ‘Apart from Thee, I find no joy; In Thee all good I see.’

(3)    We must repent of our dirty sins in the holy presence of God.

 

The voice of God that Moses heard was, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground" (v. 33).  In the region of Kendo, it was a custom for priests to remove their sandals when performing temple service. 'Sandals' symbolize impurity. God, who dwells in the holy presence, always exposes our sins.  Therefore, like Moses, we must humbly obey the word of God in fear and repent of our dirty sins before the holy God.  When we experience God's presence amid suffering, we need to approach God in a spiritually bare state, exposed before Him, due to our sins that are revealed.

 

(4)    We must embrace God's heart as we repent of our sins.

 

Just as God saw the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt and heard their cries (v. 34), we too, as we repent of our dirty sins in the holy presence of God, must see and hear what God sees and hears.  This means we need to look at our brothers and sisters who are suffering and listen to their cries.  In doing so, our God will use us as instruments of salvation, just like He did with Moses.

 

To enter into the presence of God (to experience it), what should we do?  Refer to the internet article titled ‘How to Enter into the Presence of God?’ (Internet):

 

(1)    To enter into the presence of God, strive for purity.

 

Avoid any actions, words, or thoughts that would displease God.  However, we constantly find it challenging and occasionally stumble.  When this happens, immediately repent and humbly seek God's forgiveness.  Cultivate the habit of repenting promptly, without delay, if you believe you have committed a wrong.  As Aquinas said, ‘God, who forgives the repentant, did not promise that He would give him a tomorrow to repent.’

 

(2)    To enter into the presence of God, focus your heart on Him and seek His presence.

 

Seek God's presence in quiet faith and humble love.  Let go of worldly worries and anxieties that hinder the path to God's presence.

 

(3)    To enter into the presence of God, determine to always look to God, no matter what you do.

 

Practice looking to God before doing anything, even amidst busy tasks. Always engage in conversation with God, asking Him to supply what you need. God will lead your life step by step.

 

                Second and last, Moses, whom God chose and raised up to use, was sent.

Look at Acts 7:34 - "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt."  Stephen, in his speech, divides the mention of Moses into three periods based on forty years: (1) The first period, in Egypt for forty years (vv. 23-29), (2) The second period, in Midian for forty years (vv. 30-35), and (3) The final period, in the wilderness during the exodus from Egypt (v. 36).  In today's passage, Acts 7:30-35, it is stated that when the forty years in Midian were fulfilled, God appeared to Moses within the burning bush and gave him a mission in His presence.  In other words, Moses received a mission from God.  Where?  To Egypt.

 

We need to be aware of our mission.  According to a survey by the American Society of Training and Development, 48% of salespeople make one call and then give up, 25% make two calls and then give up, and 15% make three calls and then give up.  In other words, 88% of salespeople give up after one to three calls.  However, the remaining 12% persistently make calls and end up making 80% of the total sales.  I think the same goes for our evangelism as Christians.  A few people always make up the majority of the church's evangelism efforts.  To save a single precious soul, what do we need to do?  We must be aware of the mission of evangelism and make a determination to proclaim the Gospel (Internet).

 

Interestingly, when Moses contemplated looking back at his Israelite brothers when he turned forty in Egypt, they rejected him.  However, God sent Moses to Egypt after forty more years in the Midian wilderness and appeared to him in the burning bush, calling him “a deliverer and leader” (v. 35).  Moses, who had been rejected by the Israelites forty years before, was shown by God in the burning bush in the Midian wilderness forty years later to be sent as “a deliverer and leader” to Egypt.  The term "deliverer" may not seem fitting for Moses because it implies paying a price for the redemption of people and Moses seemed an unlikely candidate for this title.  The reason is that redemption entails paying a price for the salvation of a people (Park).  However, Moses deserves this title because he personally bore a considerable burden for the sake of the Israelite people.  But the greater significance is that Moses points to Jesus, the true Deliverer.  God sent His only begotten Son into this sinful world, like Egypt, to redeem His people, and the price paid was the life of Jesus.  He redeemed us through His death on the cross.  The true Deliverer is not Moses, but Jesus Himself.

 

What does a life that fulfills its mission to the end look like?  Under the title ‘Grace, Stepping into Salvation’ by John Piper, there is the following passage: ‘William Carey crossed from England to India in 1793.  He lost his five-year-old son there, and his wife suffered from mental illness.  After seven years of ministry, he led his first convert, only to lose years of translation work in a fire.  However, he served steadily for 40 years without a single vacation.  Adoniram Judson, the first American foreign missionary, went to Myanmar in 1814.  He lost his six-year-old son, was imprisoned in a death cell for a year and a half, and his wife died of fever.  He suffered from mental breakdown and had to wait five years to meet his first convert.  But he did not stop his ministry.  It was because the mission was more precious than life itself.  Robert Morrison was the first Protestant missionary sent to China.  He lost his wife and toiled for seven years to win his first convert.  Yet, he continued his ministry without interruption.  They faced numerous difficulties but did not yield; they moved forward because they considered the mission given to them by God more precious than life itself’ (Internet).

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the sent Son, Jesus, who received God's mission,

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Praying and hoping to fulfill the will of the Sender, my Lord Jesus Christ)