Last week we talked about Moses’ mistake of hitting the rock instead of speaking to it. He did this in disobedience to what God told him to do. The Bible calls this sin. As a result of Moses’ mistake, that is his sin, he was only permitted to see the land God promised to give […]
For four decades Moses led the people as they wandered in the dessert. Once when they were thirsty, God told Moses to hit a certain rock with his walking stick. He did and water gushed out. Later on, the people again clamored for water. This time God told Moses to speak to a rock, but […]
As a kid, I enjoyed watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island. One thing that amused me was that for three years Gilligan sported the same outfit, but his clothes never wore out. They didn’t fade, become threadbare, or fray. His shirt, pants, shoes, socks, and even his hat lasted in pristine condition for as long as […]
Once, when the Israelites were in the desert and thirsty, God told Moses to speak to a rock and water would pour forth. Instead, out of anger towards the people, Moses hit the rock with his walking stick. Water still gushed out, but God was displeased over Moses’ lack of following directions. Moses’ punishment was […]
Last week we talked about Noah’s obedience and Moses’ boldness. Both actions were reflections of their faith: the faith to obey and the faith to confront. But what if Noah didn’t obey God, instead interceding for the people? If God changed his mind (as he did when Moses fasted and prayed), the great flood would […]
To Noah, God said I will destroy the earth. But God had a plan to spare Noah and his family. Building an ark didn’t make sense and required years of hard work, but Noah obeyed God’s instructions and survived the great flood. We applaud Noah for his obedience to God. To Moses, God said I […]
When Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 Commandments (the second time), God said “I will write on [the tablets] the words…“Imagine that, God providing written communication for Moses. But it’s not just Moses, a few centuries later David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the Lord.. God wrote the […]
In the Bible there’s the story of Jacob, who rolls away the stone from the well to water Rachel’s sheep. They get married. Then there’s Moses. He rescues some shepherd girls when they are being harassed and provides water for their flocks. He marries one of them. It’s just not a guy thing, either. Rebekah […]
The phrase “the finger of God” occurs four times in the Bible. The first is when the Egyptian magicians cannot duplicate the feats God is doing through Moses and they say, “This is the finger of God.” The second and third times are when God gives Moses the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets. What […]
The book of Joshua opens by confirming the death of Moses, followed by a curious instruction: Now you go into the Promised Land. Imagine that, an entire nation was put on hold, unable to move—until Moses died. Moses had to die for them to receive what God had promised to give them. What if Moses […]