ISRAEL'S ELECTION

If you happened to do Christian Religious Education in high school to at least form one level then you are familiar with that title. Israel as a nation was chosen and ordained by GOD the almighty and then set apart. Israel was not however elected so that it could sit around doing nothing. It was elected to accomplish something specific for GOD. To give the world direction by being ambassadors of the word of GOD. So in a way, Israel's election was more of a responsibility and a delicate one because the future of the world's spirituality depended on them.

I like Israel for so many reasons but most of all I admire their steadfastness in the will of GOD. The Israelites served GOD through the fires of pain but they were patient enough to see the end of GOD.

They were enslaved in Egypt for 400years and even after being let go, they wandered in a forest for 40years and here the bible says... and you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these fourty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you will keep his commandments...Deuteronomy 8/2-3. That among many other things was the reason the Israelites' life can not be said to be that of glamor

But in all this saga, there is a notable man called Moses. He is actually the person I want to speak about today. He is the first in this series. Our focus book is exodus.

Moses was commissioned by GOD to lead the Israelites to the promised land. Now the background of Moses was a bit complicated. He was brought up in Pharaoh's palace as a prince but through GOD's design and will, he was able to know and retain his identity  as an Israelite.  But he was still privileged. He was well educated and among many other things he enjoyed the joy of being related to the high. But this was not all, he still had that voice deep down that said he was an Israelite and that was why he fought and even killed a man who was beating an Israelite. Due to fear, he fled. That was the turn about in his life.

What I get from here is that there is danger in running ahead of your time. Although Moses was the destined and anointed leader of the Israelites, he had no audacity at all to do that before God's time. He wanted to save that Israelite which was correct but he did that at the wrong time and that was why he ran into trouble.

So he started taking care of His father in-law's herd in Midian. All his importance by now was gone. By the time GOD appeared to him, he did not even see himself worthy and he said "I can not speak" With all his education, and everything else! I was surprised as well but I got the point later on. God wanted to bring Moses to a level where he would know that only God could make him save the Israelites.
That was a good strategy because perhaps if God sent him to deliver the Israelites straight from Pharaoh's palace, Moses would have wrongly thought that he had been chosen because of his status which would have been so disastrous.
God giving us grace next week, we'll pick up from there next week. Our topic will remain Israel's Election. May the mercies of GOD keep you in His will.