Title Turn around and go (Exodus 3:1~4)
Contents
Moses was a busy man tending his father-in-law's flock. He was loyal to small things for 40 years. In fact, he was a man who could even run a great country called Egypt. However, she remained silent for 40 years tending her father-in-law's flocks. One day, Moses led the flock to the west of the wilderness to reach Horeb, the mountain of God (Ex 3:1). Moses sees something strange there. There was a fire in the middle of the bush, but it was a strange phenomenon that the bush did not burn. It was a sign that God had sent to Moses. When he saw the sign, Moses said, "I will turn around and go see this great sight. Why is the bush not burning?" (3) He immediately turned around and went there. Verse 4 says, “When the Lord saw that he had turned to see, God called him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here I am.”
With the word "turn around" as the keyword in these verses, let's share the grace of today's text while thinking about it together.
The etymology of the word "turn around" here is translated by linguist Strong as "turn off the nerve". In other words, Moses canceled all his plans in his own way when God's flame burned on Horeb, the mountain of God. I turned around and ran into the fire.
When God calls us, we need to be mindful of other things.
There were a lot of big new water streets last week. One of them is the suicide of Talent Ahn Jae-hwan. He is a famous talent. But he didn't commit suicide because of acting, but because of business debt. The exact details are still unknown, but the important thing is that he paid attention to various places here and there. In fact, it is a long and difficult road even with only talent. And it's not an easy road even with just a business. You can't do both well. If you had turned your attention to one thing, would it have gone to such an extreme result?
I don't know why modern people care so much. I can't focus on one thing. There are many people who have the bad luck of trying to grab this one and that one and then lose both.
When you turn off the nerve, you have to completely turn off the nerve. That way you won't be stressed out. When you are at home, forget about work outside the house. And when you're out of the house, forget about the housework. It should be forgotten as if there was none. You have to turn your mind off.
When you pray, focus solely on prayer. When you sing, focus on the song. When you listen to the Word, you must focus on the Word so that faith comes out of what you hear. You need to turn off all the nerves that are going elsewhere.
What Moses turned around was that he was now heading for something and there was something he was concerned about.
Moses is no longer idle. It is not difficult to predict that he has been very busy with livestock care and affairs.
When God sent messengers to Moses, it was not a time when the sheep were locked up in a pen and after a day's work there was nothing to worry about. It means that there was not a sight of "a bush fire" waiting for that time.
Moses has just arrived at Horeb. It's time to take a closer look at this and that for the flock. We also have to build it, and even if we stay for a while, we have to at least have a safety device or something like that. So there was a lot to worry about. A moment's attention to the livestock would have put him in danger of trouble. Even so, Moses turned off his mind and made up his mind to “turn around” and showed an attitude of returning to the place where the flame was.
Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's princess and realized something while living in the wilderness for 40 years in Midian. Sufficient provision for all urgency is that God is with us, God is in us, and God is for us. Therefore, he was able to turn and go to God.
This is a precious scene where you can see Moses' priorities and Moses' core values. He was a man who could draw attention to other things for God's sake. For God's sake, he is looking for someone who can attract other attention.
God meets such people and gives grace and blessings to such people. God uses such people and uses them worthy of respect.
We must solve this problem in the future in solving the problems of the evangelical life.
If Jesus is our vine and we are the branches, how does the branch bear fruit? Are you running around diligently, paying attention to bearing fruit? Or it is more strongly and firmly attached to the tree. That's right. If a branch jumps around to bear fruit, it is not bearing fruit, it is just a way to die. The way a branch bears fruit is not by jumping, but by attaching to the tree. Then the Lord will bring forth fruit. In that sense, those who work for the Lord need to train in deep spiritual fellowship with the Lord.
The sad thing is that many Christians put off turning to God because of the world's concerns. It is the fact that we neglect what is attached to God. If you are healthy, you will do your work. When I have more free time, I will live according to the will of the Lord. I will earn more money and serve the Lord well.
At that time, all the flames will be extinguished and will be gone. At that time, I want you to remember that maybe I am incapable of working for God and that I may be a useless existence even if I turn around. So, you must always obey eschatological obedience. Immediate obedience is eschatological obedience. We must obey today, thinking that there is no tomorrow. We must entrust tomorrow's work to tomorrow and obey God today.
Even though Moses had this heart and did not go back, could God have met Moses and used him so preciously? Absolutely not. because it turned around. Priority must be “first the kingdom and its righteousness”. When we know this and turn to God, God works.
We need to turn off our minds and return to God. Most people miss the presence of God because they are so focused on their plans, their will, and their work.
According to the text, what happened when Moses was concerned and turned away? He called him from the flames of the bush. "Moses, Moses," and met him and gave him a mission.
Seeing Moses returning, God called Moses by name, met Moses, and gave Moses a mission.
If you turn and go to God, God will save you. If we turn off our nerves and go forward, the blood of the Lord will cover us. If you turn and turn to God, he will bless you. If you turn and turn to God, he will give you a mission. If you turn off your nerves and go to the Lord, He will also give you strength. He works. As long as you turn off your nerves, throw away humanism, and turn to God, God will work.
If it is. What would God have done if Moses had not responded "turning around"? God must have been still.
God likes people who are spiritually diligent, and He will meet people who seek Him, long for Him, and desire Him. God is especially fond of those who persistently seek Him.
God gives courage to the diligent. It's not just Moses. Even when our Jesus came to this world, the people who enjoyed the blessing of knowing His coming for the first time were the shepherds who tended the sheep in the fields. The Bible records the situation in Luke 2:8, "At that time shepherds were outside watching their flocks by night." God comes to those who are faithful to the mission entrusted to them with hard work and entrusts them with their work.
We grew up reading the story of a rabbit and Gibuki's race as a fairy tale. The tortoise cannot beat the hare if the hare and the tortoise have a normal race. The rabbit must make the mistake of sleeping. Gentlemen, the children of God and the people of the world are like rabbits and tortoises. If we run a normal race, of course, the children of God win.
But when the children of God sleep, the world wins. Don't make the mistake of sleeping.
God reads people's reactions. You see the reaction. And it works according to the response. If we ignore God and show no particular interest in him, God does not show any particular interest in him. When a person keeps a distance from God, God also keeps his distance.
If you throw a stone away, the stone is far away; if you throw a stone close, the stone is near. The distance of the stone depends on the will of the thrower. When a person keeps a distance from God, God also keeps his distance. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” God wants us to be friendly. But not forcing. Because God knows what will and will not be forced. There are times when we force it, but God wants us to meet on our own, person-to-person, rather than forcing us to have more opportunities. That is why God is looking for people who voluntarily come close to Him. God does not want believers who come out by compulsion or reluctance, or believers who come out to beg before God because the situation is bad, but only those who love God so much that they want to get closer to Him.