Following my last post about the Egyptian buried in the sand, I feel prompted to write some more, drawing from the opening chapters of Exodus) about Moses and his calling from God. I will continue this over a few blog posts so, if you are interested, watch this space.
This account of Moses in Exodus can be a useful model/example for us. I believe with all my heart that every New Covenant person (call them ‘Christian’ if you wish) - everyone who is ‘in Christ’ is called by God. We are all called by God to manifest Him through who we are, in our unique personalities.
Not everyone is called to high profile positions, not everyone is called to have profile, not everyone is called to be categorised as ‘apostle,’ ‘prophet,’ ‘evangelist,’ ‘pastor-teacher.’ or whatever. That is not important. We are all called to be Christ-ones on this earth and beyond this earth. In fact, the primary (and only) function of the ‘fivefold’ ministry is to release the whole Body of Christ into calling, through the ‘equipping of the saints.’ (Ephesians 4:11,12)
This story of Moses, therefore, is relevant at many different levels. Let me draw some more insights out of it:
1. Moses was born into a context. He was born in Egypt, in a parentage that was enslaved by an oppressor. You also have been born into enslavement, whether you know it or not. We now know that the oppressor is Satan, the one who is the Orphan Spirit. All oppression flows from that basic separation from God as Father.
2. He was called by God from birth, separated and protected from being killed. Ironically he was protected by the very household who threatened his life. Calling is not something given at redemption or salvation; it is set from birth. Paul, the apostle, said that God chose him from his mother’s womb. In my opinion that is the case with all of us. Our calling is hardwired into our humanity, is then called forth in redemption.
3. Moses grew up in Egypt and he identified more with the Hebrew slaves that the fact that he had become an Egyptian prince. He knew his real identity, even though it was vastly inferior and violently oppressed within his culture. (Hebrews 11:25)
4. He tried to follow what was on his own heart (given by God) by his own zeal and enthusiasm. This only got him into trouble. He ended up fleeing to Midian, leaving an Egyptian buried in the sand (see my previous post)
5. His sense of entitlement and outrage, his human (soulish) passion dies off over forty years of herding sheep. He has forgotten about being a hero, a champion. He believes he will see out the rest of his days in the desert. All that zeal, all that sense of chosenness was just an illusion, a mere pipe dream. Reality, boring and mundane, has dimmed his vision and crushed it beyond repair...
Or so he thinks…