CONNECTING THE HANDS OF GOD

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7-10.

There is nothing you can do when God decides to use you. No complain is enough to dissuade him. Your destiny is in the hand of God. Take it or leave it, you can’t dictate to God. It was a scene of shock when God appears to Moses in the burning bush. The bush burned but it was not consumed. The children of Israel were abused but were not consumed. It is time for them to be liberated, but God knew Pharaoh will not take it lightly. He will be a barrier to Israelites freedom, unless God use his mighty hand to liberate his children, Israel.

This is how lives of many are today. They are in bondage under witchcraft powers, occult, herbalists, demonic pastors, evil gang up, evil Alfas, evil neighbors, the wicked and evil friends mocking and speaking evil of them. For this reason they are not happy anytime they think of their past and present situation or what the future holds. The Lord that sets the children of Israel free in the hands of Egyptians of the old shall set you free. Amen.

When God approached Moses to go on this mission, he rejected it. God painstakingly addressed the issue with promise to be with Moses before he eventually agreed. From that moment, Moses connected the hand of God to his life.

Moses responded with reluctance and self-doubt. He questioned his fitness for the task, citing his lack of eloquence and fear that the Israelites would not listen to him. God reassured Moses, promising to be with him and provide the necessary guidance and support. God also revealed his divine name, often translated as “I AM WHO I AM” Eventually, Moses accepted God's call and agreed to go to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from bondage. He became a central figure in the biblical narrative, leading the Israelites through various trials and challenges on their journey to freedom.

Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock when he encountered a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. This unusual sight caught his attention, and he approached the bush. As Moses approached the burning bush, God spoke to him and revealed his plan to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. God told Moses that he had been chosen for this important mission. It was hand of God in action.

There was fear in the heart of Moses; after all he has forgotten everything of Egypt. He didn’t have kin relationship with his immediate family or the palace. He has been living unbalanced life since the day he was born. His escape from Egypt was like a miracle. He forgot that the same God that appeared to him knew it all. His little understanding made him argue with God severally.

First, was rating himself low. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11. God countered it and assured him he will be with him.

Second, Moses complains of Israel doubting God’s name. God told him his name. This is the first time God revealed his name to a person. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14.

Thirdly, Moses question God what if they don’t believe God spoke with him? God did not answer him directly but with two miracles that baffled Moses. First, the rod in his hand turned to snake. God told him to reach out to it by holding the tail of the snake. Then it turned to rod.

The same moment God told Moses to deep his hand into his cloak and remove it. Alas, his hand was leprosy like snow! Before Moses could talk, God told him to deep his hand back into his cloak, Moses did. This time his hand was perfectly restored.

Fourthly, Moses hid under the pretext he can’t speak eloquently. At this point God was about to be angry. He asked Moses, “Who created you?” I am the One. “But then, go I will make Aaron assist you and go with your staff to Egypt because I will perform miracles with it”. Moses now believed with assurance. If God gives you a vision he will also give you the ability and opportunity to achieve it. This is what is called hand of God in a life. Then Moses left Midian with his wife and sons on a donkey to Egypt.

At this point Moses was sure the hand of God was upon him. We may be angry with Moses as a stubborn child, but it is good to be sure that God speaks. There is danger going in a mission without God. Even, it is Holy Spirit voice, be sure. At first Pharaoh refused; since God’s hand was in it, he surrendered!

Can you imagine how the children of Israel reacted when they first heard the new instructions from Moses? They did not believe at first but eventually keyed into Moses mission. They had seen how Pharaoh reacted to the many plagues brought on the Egyptians. They suffered further from the cruel taskmasters because Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. As a result of the previous plagues their work situation was more grueling than ever. They had to make bricks without straw. Pharaoh reacted negative because the hand of God is yet to strike.

Before we question, mock or condemn Moses’ lack of faith, let’s examine our attitudes. God tells us that he will go with us wherever we go but yet, sometimes we don’t act like or seemingly have confidence in his word because we want to play it safe. What God spoke to Moses, his word speaks to us.

God sees, hears and promise Moses, he will be with him. He had indeed seen their misery, heard their past cries, and was concerned about their suffering. He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He will do wonders to confirm his hand upon Moses. As the Lord did not leave Moses, so he will not leave you into the hands of danger. His wondrous works brought terror to the rulers and people of Egypt. Similarly, in our own burning bush encounters, God will reveal things that will fill us with wonders! It is powerful to note that at one point, when a spirit of fear and wailing had swept all over Egypt not even a dog barked at a human or animal where God's people were residing. Your home will be save before the enemies that vow you will not make it in life.

Moses was not the best listener at first. When God called him at the burning bush, he disagreed and did not quickly obey. He kept questioning him during the first encounter. But, when their relationship grew deeper, Moses had faith in God in everything. Even when the tasks became harder, he followed God’s command. And in the end, he saw that God was true to him.

What a sorry sight for two men, Moses aged 80 and Aaron 83, taking on the might of the powerful Egyptian empire! But they were empowered by the Lord so mightily that when Moses' staff was either raised or struck on the ground, Pharaoh and his commanders were terrified! However, before sending them on what seemed like a 'mission impossible', God gave Moses many assurances to strengthen his faith. No power ever defeats God and no power will ever defeat him.

Life can sap our energy, erode our encouragement, and dampen our enthusiasm. God wants to infuse us with his presence and power. The problem is that we are not always with him. We get busy, preoccupied, self-reliant, and absorbed in the details of life, and, if we’re not careful, we will crowd God out of our lives. We need to create space and time to focus on God.

You don’t complain when God is serious mostly when he comes down to rescue. Moses should be excited after all he had seen the struggles and watched an Egyptian beat a Hebrew person. He had seen the people die, the children die and seen starvation that ravaged his people. He had seen the injustice of the Egyptians against the children of Israel. And now here was God saying, “I will come down to rescue them”.

The story of Moses at the burning bush is often interpreted as a demonstration of faith and obedience. It illustrates how individuals may initially have doubts or insecurities when faced with a significant calling or responsibility but can find the strength to carry out the task with faith and divine guidance.

So when Moses told them to paint blood over the doorposts it would have been easy to develop an improper attitude, but they didn’t. As a result one day they were slaves living in bondage and the next day they became multimillionaires.

The third thing he asks was the hand of God to be upon him. He knew this hand will do things that needed to be done. When we talk about hand of God, it refers to omnipotent hand of God. The power of God that can do everything you can imagine. The hand of God that does anything and everything, that is the mighty hand of God. The mighty hand of God is the divine hand of approval. It is final approval of life.

Anytime hand of God comes upon someone, everything he does will be the will of God. And it will work perfectly fine. Everybody will co-operate with it. And whoever do not cooperate with it will be dismantled and be destroyed by the power of hand of God. I pray...