ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Faith of our Fathers: Part 2
Moses

Good morning dear friends and this morning we will continue the series, the faith of our fathers by examining the faith of Moses. It has been established by the bible that faith is an important spiritual attribute in walking with God. Hebrews 11:6: And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. NLT.

The simplest way to define faith is that it is to believe. This manifests in three dimensions, the first dimension is the saving faith. It is to believe in Jesus as the Lord and saviour which is sponsored by the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon hearing the gospel. Romans 10:9-13: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10]For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. [11]As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” [12]Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. [13]For “Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.” NLT. The second dimension is the one that deals with receiving things from God because you believe he can do it. The bible is filled with examples of this from the Old to the New Testament. An example from the New Testament is the woman with the issue of blood. Mark 5:25-34. The last dimension of faith is the knowledge of God in the life of the believer which produces good works. James 2:14-17: What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? [15]Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, [16]and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do [17]So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. NLT. All in all, all dimensions of faith reveals God to man and they are sponsored by God.

The Faith of Moses
Moses got the opportunity of revealing God’s law to the nation of Israel. This was the man that God used to show his mighty power in Egypt. However, he was not an easy man to convince. He asked God a lot of questions and needed convincing before agreeing to go to Egypt. This is because he had seen a lot in Egypt regarding dark powers and magic. Also, he was wanted for murder. Therefore, before going back, he needed assurances from God. Moses teaches us the importance of catching fire before we embark on a journey for God and the importance of telling God what is on our minds. Jesus told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they got filled with power before launching out on their mission. Luke 24:49: “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” NLT.

Moses started his discussion with God by asking him about his fear for Pharaoh, this is because he had a case of murder in Egypt, going back will lead to his death. Also, the Israelites after he killed the Egyptian accused him of the crime, this led to the second question about his suitability to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus 3:11: But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” NLT.

The next question he asked was what he would tell the Israelites about the person who sent him. Exodus 3:13: But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” NLT. After this, he asked another question about the nation of Israel not believing him. Exodus 4:1: But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The lord never appeared to you’?” NLT. God answered Moses accordingly in all the questions he asked and his doubts were highlighted in the verses in Exodus 4 but once God ensured that he would be with him, the result was a man who was committed to the mission God gave him. Even in Egypt, whenever trouble arose, he would run back to God to ask about what to do. This was a man that relied on God totally in his experiences. Our lesson from Moses is to totally rely on God and we should be free to ask God questions whenever we have questions to ask.

God bless you.