Post by Les on Aug 9, 2022 14:15:39 GMT -5
But I Can! By: Chris Wale
Click here for the Audio Message
God said, ‘I will be with you.”
Exodus 3:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Exodus 3:11–4:12
Major W. Ian Thomas (1914–2007, founder of Capernwray Bible school) described his new faith as keeping him “very busy.” Thinking he had to live for Jesus in his own strength, his energy soon dwindled, and out of sheer frustration he nearly quit. Yet that turned out to be the turning point of his Christian life: “I learned to say, ‘Lord Jesus, I can’t, You never said I could; but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know.’”
Moses had to learn the same thing about God. Having fled from Egypt, he lived in self-imposed exile while the enslaved Israelites continued to suffer. So Moses didn’t feel like he was a good fit for the rescue mission God called him to.
He asked God, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11). “What if they do not believe me?” (4:1). And, “I have never been eloquent” (v. 10). In every excuse, Moses said, “I can’t.” Yet God responded, “I will be with you” (3:12); He revealed His powerful, all-encompassing name (v. 14); He promised, “I will help you speak” (4:12). Each time God assured him, “But I can!”
Today, if we’re tempted to say, “I can’t,” we can listen for God’s, “But I can.” Then we too will be ready for life as “the adventure that God always intended it to be,” as Major Thomas reflected.
Reflect & Pray
Where might you be coming to the end of your strength? How can you draw aside to listen to God’s reassuring voice today?
Thank You, Lord, that just as my salvation is from You, so too is the strength to live in each moment.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The assurance of God’s presence with Moses and the children of Israel is conveyed in a Hebrew word—hayah—used four times in today’s reading. In verse 12 it’s translated, “I will be with you.” This rather complex word is also the personal, covenant name of Israel’s God. Three times the word is translated “I am” in verse 14. When used as a personal noun, “Yahweh” is an acceptable rendering. In most English Bible versions when the word “Lord” appears in capital letters, it’s a translation of hayah, which speaks of God’s eternal existence.
John 1:14 records that the eternal Word of God “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Also in John’s gospel, Jesus identified Himself as the eternal Son through “I am” statements, including His bold statement, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (8:58).
Arthur Jackson
Exodus 3:11-4:12
King James Version
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
4 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
5 That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Click here for the Audio Message
God said, ‘I will be with you.”
Exodus 3:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Exodus 3:11–4:12
Major W. Ian Thomas (1914–2007, founder of Capernwray Bible school) described his new faith as keeping him “very busy.” Thinking he had to live for Jesus in his own strength, his energy soon dwindled, and out of sheer frustration he nearly quit. Yet that turned out to be the turning point of his Christian life: “I learned to say, ‘Lord Jesus, I can’t, You never said I could; but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know.’”
Moses had to learn the same thing about God. Having fled from Egypt, he lived in self-imposed exile while the enslaved Israelites continued to suffer. So Moses didn’t feel like he was a good fit for the rescue mission God called him to.
He asked God, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11). “What if they do not believe me?” (4:1). And, “I have never been eloquent” (v. 10). In every excuse, Moses said, “I can’t.” Yet God responded, “I will be with you” (3:12); He revealed His powerful, all-encompassing name (v. 14); He promised, “I will help you speak” (4:12). Each time God assured him, “But I can!”
Today, if we’re tempted to say, “I can’t,” we can listen for God’s, “But I can.” Then we too will be ready for life as “the adventure that God always intended it to be,” as Major Thomas reflected.
Reflect & Pray
Where might you be coming to the end of your strength? How can you draw aside to listen to God’s reassuring voice today?
Thank You, Lord, that just as my salvation is from You, so too is the strength to live in each moment.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The assurance of God’s presence with Moses and the children of Israel is conveyed in a Hebrew word—hayah—used four times in today’s reading. In verse 12 it’s translated, “I will be with you.” This rather complex word is also the personal, covenant name of Israel’s God. Three times the word is translated “I am” in verse 14. When used as a personal noun, “Yahweh” is an acceptable rendering. In most English Bible versions when the word “Lord” appears in capital letters, it’s a translation of hayah, which speaks of God’s eternal existence.
John 1:14 records that the eternal Word of God “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Also in John’s gospel, Jesus identified Himself as the eternal Son through “I am” statements, including His bold statement, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (8:58).
Arthur Jackson
Exodus 3:11-4:12
King James Version
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
4 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
5 That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.