Episode 64: Hearing God when life doesn’t go according to plan

Nov 3, 2024 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Life often seems to throw us ‘curve balls’, and we can end up living lives different from what we imagined. How we deal with these events is vital. In the Bible, Moses dealt with significant events in his life, especially when he went from a ‘somebody’ living in a royal palace to a ‘nobody’ in the outback. He then discovered what God can do with a person fully devoted to Him. Join us as we unpack how Moses heard God amid these events and how it can relate to our life.

Episode Notes:

Background to Moses:

  • We read about Moses in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
  • Episode 63 – Jochebed Moses’s mother and the events surrounding Moses’ birth.
  • Basically, Pharoah was scared of the Israelites in his country and issued an edict to kill every male baby born. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, courageously hid Moses. He was found by Pharoah’s daughter who paid Jochebed to nurse Moses and bring him up for the first approx. eight years of his life.
  • Moses then went to live in the Royal Palace.
  • Can you imagine the emotions behind this story? The jealousy that Jochebed was being paid to bring up her only son. Jealousy that Moses went to live in luxury and have servants, whereas his brother and sister and friends were servants.
  • Flavius Josephus, a Jewish priest, scholar and historian, wrote in the first century in a manuscript called ‘The Antiquities of the Jews’ (Book 2, chapter 10) that Moses became the General of the Egyptian army and was famous for defeating the Ethiopians. Acts 7:22 says Moses was mighty in speech and deeds. He had power and the ability to do anything. He saw an Egyptian and Israelite fighting and went to intervene and killed the Egyptian. Expecting it to be kept quiet, he was obviously shocked and alarmed the next day when he saw two Israelites fighting, and they challenged him about killing the Egyptian. Moses then ran away and lived as a nomad for 40 years.
  • Hebrews 11:24-25 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Moses chose between royalty and being a servant.
  • After Moses had lived in the desert for 40 years, God called Moses through a burning bush experience to lead the Israelites in escaping from the Egyptians to cross to the Promised Land.
  • Moses had several mountain-top experiences with God, one of those being when God gave him the 10 Commandments for the Israelites (Exodus 20)
  • His death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34. Due to an incident recorded in Numbers 20 where Moses didn’t obey God but relied on a past experience, God prevented him from entering the Promised Land.
  • He had been leading this grumbling tribe around and around the desert for 40 years, and then he is prevented from seeing the one thing they were aiming for due to not obeying God.
  • 1st 40 years, Moses thought he was a somebody as Pharoah’s ‘grandson’. 2nd 40 years, Moses believed he was a nobody and lived a nomadic lifestyle as a shepherd. 3rd 40 years – discovered what God can do with a person devoted to him.
  • Moses was fluent in both Hebrew and Egyptian culture.

First Principle: Never underestimate God.

  • God is God. He can do whatever He likes. He can and often will do the bizarre and extraordinary.
  • God spoke to Moses through thunder, fire, and lightning.
  • God used Moses in the miraculous parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape from the Egyptians.
  • God performed many miraculous signs. In Exodus 16, God provided manna and food each night for the Israelites in the desert.
  • God spoke to Moses face to face. Exodus 33:11 “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one would a friend.”
  • Moses sensed and felt God and had visual and auditory experiences. In Exodus 19, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
  • What’s in your hand? Moses, in Exodus 4 – what was in Moses’ hand? Provision. Protection. Promise. Due to his Egyptian background, he had been taught to pick up snakes by the head so they wouldn’t bite you. God said, pick it up by the tail. Obey me, not your Egyptian ways and knowledge.
  • Always an outcome for disobeying God. Due to disobeying God, Moses wasn’t permitted to cross into the Promised Land. God could have waivered that, but He didn’t. Moses died before the fulfilment of the task. I don’t want to die prematurely before the fulfilment of what God has called me to. What about you?

Second Principle: Identity is important.

  • Acts 7:22 says Moses was mighty in speech and deeds. Yet in Exodus 4:10, we see Moses believed he lacked eloquence. Was slow of speech and stuttered. How Moses saw himself did not line up with how others saw him and how he truly was. Unless the trauma of being caught killing the Egyptian and disappearing into the wilderness for 40 years destroyed his self-esteem. Moses lost all confidence in himself. He felt inferior.
  • Thankfully, God sees us differently. God knows us intimately. God believes in us and our potential.
  • Moses had a massive fear of rejection in Exodus 3, telling God what some of the problems he might face could be. Despite God telling and showing him otherwise, he felt inadequate, unworthy, useless, and undeserving.
  • Moses did not trust God enough to believe God could triumph and do whatever through Moses. God gave him three signs – throwing his stick on the ground and it turns into a snake, putting his hand inside his jacket and it becomes leprous, and water turning into blood. Even after all these miraculous signs, Moses doubts.

Third Principle: Pay attention to the unusual.

  • Moses call in Exodus 3:1-6 Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So, Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
  • Whenever you see a strange sight, investigate.

Summary:

  1. Never underestimate God.
  2. Identity is important.
  3. Pay attention to the unusual.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “Father God, when you look at me, what do You think?” or “What’s on Your mind, God, when You see me, when You look at me, when You gaze at me?”
  • “Father God, can You tell me more about that please?”
  • Or “God, how do You see me dressed symbolically at the moment (ie what outfit am I wearing eg Warrior, Princess, Sailor etc)?

Time Stamps:

[0:36] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[8:09] – Background to the story of Moses.

[13:14] – First Principle: Never underestimate God.

[19:44] – Second Principle: Identity is important.

[22:59] – Third Principle: Pay attention to the unusual.

[27:18] – Recap the principles.

[27:39] – Prophetic activation.

[29:13] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[32:32] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Exodus, especially chapters 3, 4, 16, 19, 20, 33
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers, especially chapter 20
  • Deuteronomy
  • Acts 7:22
  • Hebrews 11:24-25

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