Tag Archives: moses

JEHOVAH NISSI – THE LORD IS MY BANNER OF VICTORY

by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

JEHOVAH NISSI – THE LORD IS MY BANNER OF VICTORY

Jehovah-Nissi is more than just a name of God. It is a banner or a flag that represents His power, presence, protection and Love over His people, in times of war and in times of peace. In Hebrew, the word “Nissi” means Refuge or Lifting. God’s name Jehovah Nissi can be translated as The Lord is my Banner of Victory or the Lord is my Exaltation, the Lifter of my head. In times of trouble and uncertainty, by faith, we raise the banner of Jehovah-Nissi and trust in His faithfulness and promise of victory. In Exodus 17:1-16, the banner called Nissi, is a Symbol of Victory. It was a reminder of how they won the battle. It was not Moses or Joshua, but it was Jehovah who won the battle. It was the Lord who led them into the battle, who protected them, that gave them the victory. “Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah! 3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Ps 3:2,3). When a man suffers for a long time, in His mercy, God lifts up his head; He restores him back to his former status. Lessons: God does not need a great army or sophisticated weapons. God used an old man with hands lifted to heaven, praying and interceding, to defeat the great army of the Amalekites. God alone takes all the glory for all our successes and achievements in life. Jehovah Nissi is the revelation of Praying to Victory!

What is the background of the revelation of God’s name Jehovah Nissi? Three days after the passing thru the Red Sea, God’s people arrived as a place called Marah, meaning Bitter. After the miracle of changing bitter water into sweet water and the revelation of God’s name as Jehovah Rapha, the Israelites now rested at Elim, where they camped near a place of 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees (Exo 15:27). The word Elim means Trees, suggesting an oasis, a place of abundance. God led them here to experience rest and to be refreshed. In the Bible, numbers 12 and 70 both mean completeness, like the 12 tribes of Isreal. God’s people rested to have new strength for the journey ahead. Lessons: God’s leading in life passes thru periods of trials and periods of rest in between. Sabbath is a day of rest when we are commanded to stop working for ourselves and serve God. Jesus alone gives eternal rest. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). The call of Jesus is universal and personal. To answer this call, you need active faith. You must believe that Jesus is able to give you rest from the guilt of sin, from religious oppression, from worries of life.

After the rest at Elim, God’s people move on towards Mount Sinai. They start complaining of hunger, testing God again (Exodus 16). God provided quail for them to eat. He also started a new “diet”. He fed them with Manna, a supernatural food that looks like seeds on the ground. The word “manna” means “what is this?”. This food came with specific instructions on how to be gathered. God tested them to see if they obey Him or not. Most people disobeyed God’s instructions and failed His test again. The next leg in the journey was Rephidim (Exodus 17:1-7). There was no water. God’s people started complaining again. Moses prays. God shows him a Rock. He tells Moses to strike the rock with the same rod he used to punish the Egyptians. Moses obeys and water comes out from the rock to quench the people’s thirst. Paul tells us that the Rock was Christ Crucified. “they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1Cor 10:4). This was a miracle, spiritual water provided by Christ Himself, who accompanied them in the wilderness. Lessons: We need the water of life Christ provides thru the study of God’s Word and prayer. We are never alone in the journey of life. Selah!

This is the background of the story, just before God’s people are attacked by the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). After the people experienced God’s care in providing rest, food and water in the wilderness, they now trust God enough to defend them in their first battle since they left Egypt. The Amalekites were “the first among the nations” to attack them (Nu 24:20). The attack was totally unprovoked. They were the descendants of Amalek, who was the grandson of Esau (Gen 36:12). The Israelites and the Amalekites were relatives. Both came out from Isaac. But they remained enemies to the end. The Amalekites were settled close to that area. They surely knew that God promised the descendants of Jacob to give them the Promised Land. The Israelites were not a direct threat to them. They were just passing by. But they still attacked them, especially the old, the weak, the women and the children. This was a cowardly attack. The people kept their baggage at the back. The Amalekites were looking for things to steal. In the process, they killed the weak people at the back. Spiritually, they attack “the strugglers”, those who have trouble in life, financial burdens, or emotional upsets. God vowed to punish the Amalekites. From generation to generation there shall be no mercy for them. “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Deut 25:17-19).

God commanded His people: “Go out, fight with Amalek!” This was the first experience of warfare for ancient Israel. They had lived for hundreds of years as slaves, and God fought the Egyptians for them. Now they had to learn to rely on God as they fight their first military battle. Moses commanded Joshua to take some able men and fight the Amalekites in the valley. He will take the rod of God with which he did miracles in Egypt, go on a hill and lift it there. “So, Joshua did as Moses said to him”. This is the first passage that mentions Joshua. We find him obeying Moses. The name “Jesus” is simply the Greek way of pronouncing the name Joshua. It’s the same name. Joshua is a type of Jesus. He fought the enemies of the people of God. He led God’s people into the Promised Land.

Moses, together with Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill: They did this for three reasons: they could see their people, they could be seen by the people, and so that they could worship God and pray. Aaron was the older brother of Moses, and some think that Hur was Miriam’s husband, Moses’ brother-in-law. Joshua was fighting with the sword. Moses supported the battle behind the scenes, busy in prayer. Moses observed something strange: “And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed”. The fate of Israel in battle depended on Moses’ intercession because when he prayed Israel prevailed and when he stopped praying Amalek prevailed. Moses “held up his hand” in a position of prayer. This amazing passage shows us that life or death for Israel depended on the prayers of one man. As a young man, Moses thought the only way to win a battle was to fight directly (Ex 2:11-15). Now, Moses, 80 years old, lets Joshua fight while he does the most important work: pray for victory!!! Moses’ hands became tired. Supporting the battle in prayer was difficult. Moses needs help from other believers!! Lessons: We think fighting is hard work, and praying is easy work, but true prayer is also hard work. We too must “pray without ceasing” (1Thess 5:17). Paul described the ministry of Epaphras as always laboring fervently for you in prayers (Col 4:12). Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and literally supported his hands up in prayer. They became a team in intercession. Their help was successful: Moses’ hands were steady until the sun went down and the victory won. Though this was Moses’ work to do, it was more than he could do by himself. Moses alone could not win the battle of prayer. He needed others to come by his side to strengthen him in labor and prayer. Moses, with his stretched-out hands, is a figure of Christ on the cross, suffering for mankind, getting a complete victory over sin and Satan. Please observe that Joshua still had to fight. Praying Moses did not eliminate what Joshua had to do. The battle was won with prayer, but also through the usual work of the army, led by Joshua. Lessons: This amazing passage shows us the great importance of prayer. Life and death depend upon prayer. Often, God’s people are defeated today because they do not pray well about God’s work. God takes it personally when the enemy attacks us. Christ died on the Cross to give us the victory against sin, death and Satan. Selah!

The reason why God was so angry it was because Amalek was the first nation to attack Isreal. By fighting Isreal, God said they fight against Him. God continued His war against them but gave them much time to repent of this great sin of attacking their cousin, Israel. But they refused to repent. Based on the command to fight the Amalekites, God commanded King Saul to destroy them. He only obeyed partially. He left the king and others alive. Because of this disobedience, King Saul lost his throne (1Sam 15:2-9; 28:18). The Amalekites were destroyed during the reign of Hezekiah (1Chr 4:43). Some survived. Haman, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, during the time of Queen Esther, almost succeeded to destroy all the Jews but God’s hand stopped him (Esther 3:1). The Amalekites are a picture of Satan or our flesh. “Amalek” constantly battles against the spirit and must be struggled against until completely conquered (Galatians 5:17).

SLAVERY MENTALITY

One of the main reasons why God revealed Himself as Jehovah Nissi, was because He wanted His people to find a new identity. Before now, they had a slavery mentality. It was their mind set when they lived in Egypt for 400 years. That is why when challenges came on the way to the Promised Land, they were dreaming about going back, to eat the cucumbers in Egypt. Slave mentality is a stronghold that blocks the way to success. It is lack of freedom. Freedom is defined as the power, the right to think, speak and act the way you want to, without any influence from outside. No one controls your mind. The word ‘Freedom’ comes from a German word meaning “Love or Friend”. In other words, Freedom manifests as your choice to Love any Friend you desire. A slave is a person who is physically or mentally controlled by another person or a thing. Slavery mentality is a negative mindset of failure. It is a spiritual bondage. It says that you are born poor and will stay poor; you will never be rich or free; you just accept the suffering and quietly endure it having no hope for a change.

These are some ways to describe a slavery mentality:

*You listen too much to negative words about you. You have inferiority complexes about your looks, social or financial status.

*You obey too quickly what people tell you to do, without thinking or praying. You’re people pleaser. You are foolish with money and work!

*You are satisfied to be ignorant. You are not interested in reading the Bible or books to grow in knowledge. 

*You are bound to your comfort zone; lazy; you don’t take risks; you don’t dream of a better life, and you don’t do something about it.

*You don’t think. You allow others to think for you. You always help people achieve their dreams, but you have no dream of your own.

What is the solution? Surrender your life to Christ! Renew your mind! “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2). Pray that your mind will become the mind of Christ. Study the Bible and good Christian books. Change is not easy, but you must decide to change today. Set yourself free from a slave mentality and grow in knowledge of God. Let go of the losers around you. Look for successful born-again Christians. Look for a good spiritual mentor. Be active in serving God in the local church! With the Help of the Holy Spirit, you can do it!

In Exodus 17 we see an example of God’s power and man’s effort working together. Moses struck the rock, but only God could bring the water. Joshua fought, Moses prayed, but only God gave the victory over Amalek for His glory! God’s Word does not say: “Israel is my banner, Moses is my banner or Joshua is my banner”. Rather it was Yahweh-Nissi: THE-LORD-IS-MY-BANNER. We sometimes are even more aware of the power and the help of God when we work together with Him than when God does the work all by Himself. Jehovah-Nissi came after the battle with Amalek, not after the dead Egyptians at the Red Sea. The banner of Jehovah Nissi is a cure against pride that may arise after the victory. God’s people now needed to be humble and have a new identity. They are now more than conquerors. Jehovah Nissi, God is my banner of victory! Glory! Jesus is Moses seated on high and making intercession for people. Jesus is the Rock that was stroked and produced the water of Life. Jesus is Joshua. Jesus is our banner. He alone receives all the glory!

BANNERS AND FLAGS

The Romans used banners or flags at the front of their columns of soldiers to allow the enemy to see who they were walking into battle with. They would place a golden eagle on the top of the pole. These were battle flags, proudly displayed and held high, so their soldiers knew where the line was and if they were advancing or retreating. When the flag was flying, you kept fighting. If the flag started to move quickly to the rear, this signaled a retreat. Those fighting would rally to the flag, in the hope of regrouping, reorganizing, and re-engaging in the fight. If the flag fell, the soldier closest to it dropped his weapon, lifted the flag up again, and kept moving forward. The flag was more important than his weapon. The flag was the weapon! By honoring and carrying the flag men were inspired to continue fighting. The banner identifies the position of the man giving orders who, with voice, trumpet or drum, will tell them what they need to do. The banner is the ‘heart’ of the unit, not just the pride of the men defending it, but also the ‘souls’ of those who have died for the unit in the past.

“We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright” (Ps 20:5-8). The people celebrate the victory of their king during the war. Lifting banners is a public declaration of God’s presence with the army and that God granted them victory. Lessons: This king is Jesus Christ. We are His people. During life’s battles, we need to trust God for help and victory. We need to testify and celebrate the victory. We need to boldly proclaim our faith. We need to praise God individually and together, as a church family in corporate worship. Our God never fails! In Christ, our victory is sure! Amen!

In Christ, we are One Body under His banner called Love. “He has brought me to his banqueting place, And his banner over me is love [waving overhead to protect and comfort me]” (SS 2:4; AMP). There is a party going on. The word “banqueting place” means “the house of wine”. Wine means celebration and joy. This banquet is similar with the Wedding Feast of the Lamb and His Bride, the Church (Rev 19:9). The Bride did not enter this place of joy by accident. It is Jesus, her Beloved, who brought her in. His banner over her shows her identity and belonging. It also shows His protection and His public declaration of Love for Her. The banner is a sign of an intimate personal romantic sacrificial love between the Bridegroom (Christ) and the Bride (the Church). Lessons: As Jesus is not ashamed to tell the whole universe about His Love for us, we too must publicly declare our Love for Him, thru praise and worship. The banner of Christ’ Love is an invitation to come to the eternal joyful satisfying life found in Him alone! Selah!

I AM AT THE BURNING BUSH

by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

I AM AT THE BURNING BUSH

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exo 3:14,15).

In Hebrew, the root meaning of the name Jehovah means “To be”. It relates to the word “To live or Life”. The literal meaning of the name is “I am the one who is” or, simply said, “I AM.” In other words, Jehovah is the Eternal absolutely self-existent God. He has the power of being Himself and depends on nothing and no one for His existence. What makes God different from people, from the stars and from any other creature is that God—and God alone exists by His own power. He is uncreated. He exists in and of Himself. This is a quality that no creature shares. People, stars or cars are not self-existent. If God is self-existent, eternal, and pure, then He is therefore, a higher order of being. It is for that reason that God calls Himself “I AM”. Jehovah God is eternal and unchangeable. All other names of God derive from His works except the name Jehovah. This name describes His person. In other words, God was, God is, God will always be. God is all-present or omnipresent; seeing, knowing, and actually being with us. It signifies God’s eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal faithfulness. The Jews, out of their reverence for God’s command “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain” (Ex 20:7), held that the word YHWY was sacred. They decreed it should only be spoken by the high priest during the Day of Atonement. For other occasions, the name Adonai was substituted for YHWY.

At the burning bush, Moses is commissioned as God’s representative, emphasizing the divine authority behind his mission. This legitimizes his leadership and the message he brings to the Israelites. God’s name, Jehovah is declared eternal, signifying His unchanging nature and perpetual covenant with His people. God’s identity and promises are unchangeable. By identifying Himself as the God of specific individuals, God emphasizes His personal relationship with His people. This invites believers to seek a personal and intimate relationship with God. Just as God sent Moses to deliver Israel, He sends Jesus to deliver humanity from sin. We are called to trust in God’s plan for salvation and deliverance that reveal the Love of God! God’s name is a Memorial. It is to be remembered from generation to generation. We are to be faithful in teaching the next generation who God is, how to pray and how to worship Him. God’s name carries His fame, His reputation. It also bears His very being. You cannot separate the LORD from His name. In His Name you are taught His character, what sets Him apart from everyone else, what makes Him to be God unlike any god, what makes Him holy—distinct, different, unique, separate from all others, what He does for you and for all.

The name Elohim shows God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is a general name. It shows the works of God. But the name Jehovah is the name of personal revelation to a people. He revealed Himself to Isreal first, thru the written Word, the commandments He gave to them thru Moses. The first time the name Jehovah appeared in the Old Testament was in Genesis 2:4. It connects to the name Elohim. Before then, it was only Elohim, the God of creation. Now, as God prepares to enter into a relationship with man, His introduces His name Jehovah. Elohim loves all Creation because they are the work of His hands. But Jehovah loves men individually, those who obey His Word. Jehovah warns that if His people disobey His Word, He will punish them. In Genesis 3, Satan did not mention the name Jehovah, only Elohim. When Eve answers Satan, she too only uses the name Elohim. Once man sinned, he cannot pronounce the name Jehovah, who is holy and punishes disobedience. After Adam and Eve sinned, it was Jehovah who sent them out of the Garden (Gen 3:23). The name Jehovah is always connected to Righteousness and holiness. “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright” (Ps 11:7). Isaiah heard the seraphim around the throne saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (Jehovah Sabaoth). The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa 6:3). Because Jehovah is righteous and holy, He punishes sin. It is Jehovah who destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24). When we read that God is angry with the rebellious people, it is usually Jehovah. “And the LORD (Jehovah) said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book” (Exo 32:33).

Jehovah is the God of revelation. He appears to His people when they need Him. He communicates with His people and guides them. Jehovah is the faithful, loving, covenant keeping God. His Love towards His people is “everlasting”; eternal and transcends time. It is covenantal and based on the promises God made to Abraham: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you” (Gen 17:7). God’s Love continues even when Isreal was unfaithful. It points to God’s mercy and Grace found in Christ alone. But Jehovah is also seen as the God who loves His people and grieves for them when they backslide. “The LORD (Jehovah) has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer 31:3). We are told that “In all their affliction He (Jehovah) was afflicted” (Isa 63:9). But when they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit “He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them” (Isa 63:10). As Jehovah, His holiness must punish, but His love must redeem. Jehovah desires fellowship with man. Jehovah teaches man to come to Him with an animal sacrifice the way Abel did. In Leviticus 16, describing the Day of Atonement, it is only the name Jehovah that appears, and that, 12 times. The name Jehovah stands for hope for sinful man who is called to pray and offer sacrifices. This everlasting Love of Jehovah is the same as the Love Christ has for the Church. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph 5:25). Selah!

JEHOVAH MEETS MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3 and 4)

This is the story of the encounter between Jehovah Elohim and Moses, in the desert of Midian, at the burning bush. As a baby, Moses was saved from the Nile by Pharoah’s daughter and grew up in Egypt. Culturally, he was an Egyptian. But his DNA was Jewish. He wanted to help his people, but his people rejected him. He killed an Egyptian who was attacking a Jew. People discovered the crime. He ran away from Pharoah and for 40 years, he stayed in the desert, living as a simple shepherd. He is now 80 years old. One day, he saw a bush in the fire. That was a common site in the hot desert. What attracted him was that the bush was not consumed. That was a miracle. The bush that was on fire was a common bush. There was nothing supernatural about the bush itself. The bush was on fire but not consumed. It means that the bush itself was not burning. The fire was in the bush, but it was independent of the bush. It was not using the bush for its fuel. That is why the bush was not consumed. The fire was burning by its own power. This was a Theophany. In Greek, “Theo” means God. “Phany” means manifesting. Our God is Spirit. He is invisible to the human eye. Sometimes, God makes Himself visible thru some manifestation. That is called Theophany. Fire burning in the bush is not a natural phenomenon. This was a completely supernatural reality.

Moses was seeing in this fire a manifestation of the Shekinah glory of God. The glory of God flows from His inner being. It is so powerful that it overwhelms anyone who encounters it. At special points in time, God manifests His glory to man generally as Fire. Moses went closer to see the miracle and suddenly, from the fire, God spoke to Him. God introduces Himself by His personal eternal name, Jehovah, the I AM WHO I AM. Jehovah appoints and sends Moses to Egypt to command Pharoah to let the Hebrews go to the desert to worship Him. Moses argues with God. Like us, he has a deep inferiority complex. His past was bad. He killed an Egyptian and ran away from Egypt. He is a criminal and a fugitive. He squandered his opportunities to be a leader of God’s people. His future was uncertain. He was an old man of 80. He was slow to speak, maybe a stammerer. Living in Midian for 40 years, he has forgotten both the Egyptian and the Jewish languages. How can he lead God’s people to freedom? Between a past of squandered opportunities and an uncertain future, between regrets and fears, Moses stands before Jehovah God. This is his present reality. What will he do now? Moses eventually agrees to obey God’s commands. Lesson: Faith in God and obedience to God’s Word in the present removes all the regrets of the past and the fears of the future! Trust God that even your past mistakes are covered by Him and He will work all things for your good and for His purpose. Have faith that God can still use you to do great things. In your present, right now, ask God how you can work for Him!

These are some excuses Moses gave to God why he cannot obey Him: Who am I? I don’t know God’s name… The people will not believe that I met with You, God… I can’t speak well… Another person is better than me (Exodus 3:11,13; 4:1,10,13). Most people make excuses, but not all. When called by God, Isaiah said: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me” (Isa 6:8). Samuel said: “Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1Sam 3:10). May we all say to God: Yes, Sir! Yes, Lord!

What really surprises Moses is that he is God’s answer to lead His people out of bondage. He is the solution to their suffering. God tells Moses that this assignment will not be easy. Pharoah will resist Moses. Even without that information, Moses is not confident in God’s plan because he is not confident in himself. The conversation between Jehovah God and Moses is like a Father talking to his son. The son has doubts, but the father reassures him that he is capable. In this situation, God reaffirms Moses that He will be with him during this journey. Lesson: God is omnipresent. God sees us when we go to sleep and when we wake up. Even if we are in the desert of life, in old age or in need, He finds us where we are even when we don’t know where to find Him. God initiates this encounter. God choses to appear to Moses in an extraordinary way. God is sovereign in the way He manifests to each of us. God’s plan for Moses did not start in front of that burning bush. God had it in mind before the foundation of the world. God has a purpose for each of His children. God calls you to do something for Him. This becomes the vision of your life. Even if you have doubts like Moses, because God is with you, success is sure! Jehovah God is concerned about our suffering. He will make a way for us to be free. He will send a human leader. We must submit and trust the leader. 

JEHOVAH IS THE GOD OF ENCOUNTER, REVELATION AND HOLY CALLING BY FIRE

In the Bible, there are two types of calling: 1-Jesus is calling us to Himself; 2-Jesus is calling us to a specific work assignment. When the apostle Paul proclaims that we are “called according to His purpose”(Rom 8:28, KJ) he is explaining how Jesus saves us and adopts us into His family. But when God says to Jeremiah: “Before you were born … I appointed you as a prophet to the nations,” (Jer 1:5) the calling is to a specific work assignment. God had a job for Jeremiah. God also had work for Moses. His instructions were very specific: “I am sending you to Pharaoh,” God says, “to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Ex 3:10). That work assignment was to occupy Moses for the rest of his career and life, a span of more than 40 years.

Jesus calls each of His children to work for God. The call is always personal. He calls us to use the gifts He gave to us. Each one of us are internally prepared in advance for God’s work. The call will bring the greatest satisfaction known to man and has eternal significance. By obeying God’s call, we make history. God rewards faithfulness and obedience to His call. Many Christians think that success in business or getting richer is God’s plan for them. But that is not it. To live a life of purpose you must hear, know and obey God’s call for your life. Doing God’s will bring job satisfaction like no other job. “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]” (Eph 2:10).

How does God call us to work for Him?

*He calls you by name and tells you what your work assignment is. This is how God called Moses and Saul (Exo 3:1-10; Acts 9:4-6).

*God places a desire in your heart to work for Him. This is how God called Isaiah and Nehemiah (Isa 6, Neh 1).

*God pre-arranges your path in life: John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus (Mk 1:1-7).

*God opens a door of opportunity to work for Him. You enter. Elisha burnt all bridges and followed Elijah, to serve him (1Kg 19:19-21).

The fire in the bush was the Glory of God revealed to Moses. When God met with Saul on the road to Damascus, “suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Ac 9:3). Later, when Paul talked to King Agrippa, he said: “at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me” (Ac 26:13). This blinding light was seen not only by Saul, but also by the men in his entourage. God calls their names two times: Moses, Moses, and Saul, Saul. Just this encounter with the glory of God changes these two men forever.

When Jesus was born, the Shekinah glory also appeared. It was not in the manger; it was not around Joseph and Mary. It was on the hill around Bethlehem. What Moses and Saul saw, the shepherds saw. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Ac 2:8-11). It was not so much what was in that bush, but WHO was in that bush. It was not only the glory of God the Father, but the glory of God the Son, in His eternal power and beauty. The glory of God’s Son manifested on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Moses’ strength to work came from God’s presence with him. We must trust that God supplies what we lack. Humanly speaking, Moses could not do what God said: to free a whole nation from slavery and lead God’s people to worship God. Moses had doubts. But he also had faith. He continued to maintain his relationship with God trusting God to help him despite his doubts. Moses doubted God’s Word because he looked at the circumstances and he looked at himself. We must look unto God alone. We must train our spirit to gaze on Jesus alone. Also, when we read about these Bible heroes, we should be encouraged to work for God. What God has done in the life of one, He will do it for us. Moses had obstacles. But he defeated them all because God never left his side. This is God’s Word: “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!” (Heb 13:5; AMP). Jesus said: “I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20; AMP).

SOME LESSONS TAKEN FROM BURNING BUSH

*God can call anyone to His service, no matter the human limitations. You are never too young (Jeremiah) or too old (Moses) to serve God!

*God can locate you in any place, even in the desert or like Jonah, in the belly of the fish! Moses was doing his routine work, taking care of the sheep. Be faithful in your work!

*God must get your attention first before He talks to you! Moses went closer to see why the burning bush is not consumed.

*Remove your shoes. They have worldly dust. You can pollute the holy ground. Separate yourself from the world!

*God’s call requires Faith, sacrifice, obedience, faithfulness, fear or God and total submission! You must be holy, separated from the world!

*Knowing God’s name gives you confidence, courage and authority!

*The burning Bush signifies God’s presence. It is eternal. It also signifies God’s people who are persecuted yet not forsaken. Like Daniel’s friends in the furnace.

*Jehovah sent Moses to redeem Isreal. Jehovah is a Redeemer. Redemption is always from something (Egypt) to something (Promised Land).

*No matter what you have done in the past, God is able to cleanse you from sin and to give you another chance to serve Him!

*God is a God of miracles! God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary works!

*God will compensate you for your losses. After 400 years of slavery, God’s children left Egypt taking silver and gold. They used these to build the tabernacle in the wilderness that costs millions of dollars.

*Jesus is Jehovah God. He said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn8:58). It is the pre-existence of Jesus as God!

God has work for each of us. God gives us the wisdom and strength to do His work. He gives us the strategy too. Each one of us is unique in the way we work for God. Our job is not some random choice that makes no difference. The call’s primary objective is not to put food on the table and provide a comfortable retirement. Work is not a punishment or a curse. Our individual work calling is part of God’s larger agenda in history. To be called to work for God it means we know what we are doing and what Jesus wants us to do. We work for God happily, zealously and faithfully. This is a warning: along the way, many Christians fall in love with God’s work and start worshipping the ministry. Repent of that sin! We work for God, but we worship God alone! Worship the Lord!