Pastoral Pings ~ But-ting Heads with the Graciously Determined God

          My quest to understand the “flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder” coming from God’s throne,[1] led me to look at the first time that God revealed himself in this way during the time of Moses. In Exodus 2, we read about God hearing the cry of his people in slavery and preparing to respond. In Exodus 3, he appears to Moses and begins to carry out his plans for deliverance. By Exodus 19 God has delivered Israel out of Egypt, delivered them through the parted waters of the Red Sea, and is leading them through the wilderness of Sinai. There God makes himself known in a glorious way with many connections to the description of his holy throne room in Revelation 4.

          What stood out to me today was how Moses responded when God told him how he would carry out his work of deliverance. In his description of what he was planning to do, God said this about Moses: “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”[2]

          When God tells us that he has a plan to do something through weak people like ourselves, it is about what he can do, not what we can do. Moses responded negatively to God’s plan of deliverance for Israel because it involved God working through him. He did not like that. His response is recorded like this: “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” (Exodus 3:11)

          When God invites us to join him in his work,[3] our response should not be to stick our big “BUT” in his face. When Zechariah received an angelic visitation telling him that he would finally have the son he longed for, even though he and his wife were in their old age, he respond with, “How shall I know this?”[4] This was his “But-ting” heads with God, suggesting that, even though God had just told him what he would do, Zechariah could not believe this simply on the basis of God saying so. He had to have some other proof.

          God shut Zechariah’s mouth for the next nine months, making sure he couldn’t say anything else to expose his doubting heart. This lasted until the day the child was born, and Zechariah could then speak out his praises of what God had done for him (how merciful of God to allow such a thing).[5]

          On the other hand, when Mary was told that she would also bear a child, without being married, without being with a man, by the creative power of the Holy Spirit, she did not “But” heads with God. Instead, she said, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). While Mary’s elder, Zechariah, had doubted that God could do what he said, Mary wondered how God would do what he said in the circumstances she was in at the time. Big difference.

          Back to the wilderness and a burning bush. When Moses heard that God would deliver Israel through him, the question was not who Moses was, but who God was. When God tells the church what we should do, it is not about what we can do in ourselves, but how we can “do all things through him who strengthens me (us).”[6]

          Seeing how Moses’ response to God was an expression of But-ting heads with God, we need to examine our hearts to be sure that we do not let our knowledge of our fears and weaknesses determine what we believe God can do. Revelation 4, with its beautiful reminders of God’s glory already clearly revealed in Scripture, makes it very clear that everything God does is only dependent on himself. As our brother Paul wrote, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”[7]

          From my heart

          Monte

 

© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)

 

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[1] Revelation 4:5

[2] Exodus 3:10

[3] “¹⁹ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’” (John 5) “⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15) “¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2)

[4] Luke 1:18

[5] “⁶⁴ And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” (Luke 1)

[6] Philippians 4:13

[7] I Thessalonians 5:24 cf “I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:11); “I have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 17:24)