From Tedium to Eureka
For the past month I have been working on curriculum. This afternoon I was reading through a history of the Hebrew language in preparation for a section I am writing on the transmission of the Old and New Testaments. The purpose of this section is to give pastors from cultures without a strong Christian tradition confidence in the Lord’s shepherding of the transmission of the text of the Bible through time to us now.
Part of the discussion indicated that scholars now are assured that forms of writing were available to the Hebrews during the time of Moses. That got me thinking.
God’s Hand in Moses’ Life
Look at Exodus 2:1 – 10. You know the story well. Moses is born, hidden in a basket, Pharaoh’s daughter finds said basket, opens it, is enthralled by finding the baby, and subsequently adopts him and raised him in the court of Pharaoh. Ok.
We know this, so what?
At the time Moses was born into a society of slaves. They had been in slavery for hundreds of years. The reality is that the Egyptians treated them cruelly, for the most part they would have been illiterate.
God’s Training Program
Moses was taken out of that circumstance. He was raised in the court of Pharaoh, educated, taught to read and write. Taught the ways of the court. Essentially trained by Pharaoh as one who could rule, lead, and administer a kingdom. So that when Moses was called by God, he was ready not only to lead, he was able to record the Pentateuch.
God sovereignly led Pharaoh’s daughter to find Moses so that he would be prepared not only to lead God’s people but also to write the Law.
God is Still Training
When we are challenged. When we face strong adversity. We do well to remember that God is very much in control of that adversity and uses it to prepare us for the work which He has prepared for us from the foundation of the world, Ephesians 2:10.
For the past month I have been working on curriculum. This afternoon I was reading through a history of the Hebrew language in preparation for a section I am writing on the transmission of the Old and New Testaments. The purpose of this section is to give pastors from cultures without a strong Christian tradition confidence in the Lord’s shepherding of the transmission of the text of the Bible through time to us now.
God’s Hand in Moses’ Life
Look at Exodus 2:1 – 10. You know the story well. Moses is born, hidden in a basket, Pharaoh’s daughter finds said basket, opens it, is enthralled by finding the baby, and subsequently adopts him and raised him in the court of Pharaoh. Ok.
We know this, so what?
At the time Moses was born into a society of slaves. They had been in slavery for hundreds of years. The reality is that the Egyptians treated them cruelly, for the most part they would have been illiterate.
God’s Training Program
Moses was taken out of that circumstance. He was raised in the court of Pharaoh, educated, taught to read and write. Taught the ways of the court. Essentially trained by Pharaoh as one who could rule, lead, and administer a kingdom. So that when Moses was called by God, he was ready not only to lead, he was able to record the Pentateuch.
God sovereignly led Pharaoh’s daughter to find Moses so that he would be prepared not only to lead God’s people but also to write the Law.
God is Still Training
When we are challenged. When we face strong adversity. We do well to remember that God is very much in control of that adversity and uses it to prepare us for the work which He has prepared for us from the foundation of the world, Ephesians 2:10.
Great truths, Mike, relevant to every day of our lives. And especially relevant when we realize that every one of us was born into slavery, unknown thousands of years old, to a power far more persistent and destructive than ancient Egyptian bondage - to sin.
ReplyDeleteAnd the means of our deliverance was as sovereign and far more costly than that one of ancient Israel - the blood shed (willingly) by the sinless Lamb of God to bear God's wrath for us.
God forgive me for not thanking Him AT LEAST daily for those and the countless other miracles involved in pursuing and catching me by His grace when I was fleeing Him with all my ability and not even knowing it.