As you know this year I’ve committed to a Bible Plan that includes me reading a daily devotional called Trusting God Day by Day written by Joyce Meyers and reading The Daily Walk Bible NIV, which is essentially a one year Bible, that gives you a few chapters of the Bible each day to read helping you to complete the Bible in one year. I’ve officially completed the first six chapters of the Bible ( Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua) and I wanted to share a few things that I’ve learned.
I started to name this blog post “What I’ve Learned About the Tribe of Israel and How Their Life Lessons Apply to My Life and Maybe Yours Too” but I figured that would be a lengthy title.
What I’ve Learned About the Tribe of Israel
Moses, an Israelite who was adopted and raised by Pharaoh of Egypt killed an Egyptian man for abusing an Israelite. After Moses killed the Egyptian he fled Egypt out of fear that he himself would be killed. Now the whole time that Moses was worried about his fate God was planning to use Moses to deliver the Children of Israel up out of Egypt, so God spoke to Moses up on top of a mountain (Mt. Horeb) in the form of a burning bush and told Moses that he was going to use him to deliver the Children of Israel from the hands of Egypt. Moses wasn’t really feeling God’s Plan and he felt as though he lacked the skills necessary to play Black Panther to the Children of Israel as a messenger for God to Pharaoh. It didn’t help Moses’s confidence that the new Pharaoh on the throne wasn’t really feeling Moses like that, the fact that Moses had killed an Egyptian man either, or that Moses was an Israelite who was seen as less than Egyptians. But God had a plan for Moses and the Children of Israel and had made promises to their forefathers ( i.e. Joseph) so when Moses started telling God how ill-equipped he was and asking how will people actually believe that God sent Moses of all people to aid God in delivering the Hebrews out of Israel God began to tell Moses that he’d demonstrate signs and wanders to prove that he was God, the great I AM. God also told Moses that he would teach him what to do and lead him.
So Moses went back to Egypt to do what God had instructed him to do, and just as God had said, Pharaoh let the Children of Israel go only after giving and taking back his word numerous times causing God to have to show that he was truly Lord. Even after Moses led the Hebrews out of Israel Pharaoh pursued them, initiating a final show down between powerless and misled Pharaoh and the Almighty and Powerful, I AM; in which God had Moses take his staff, split the Red Sea, lead Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground, before closing the Red Sea back up on Pharaoh and his not so smart army drowning and ending them indefinitely.
God did what he said he would do, and he continued to provide for the Children of Israel every step of their journey but they grew impatient and disobedient and complained to Moses about what they didn’t have even though God gave them everything they needed causing God’s wrath to burn against them.
Eventually Moses led the Children of Israel to the promise land but he was not permitted to enter it, so died outside of it leaving Joshua in charge to lead Israel in taking possession of the land. Once Israel fell into obedience, God delivered their enemies into their hands and they took possession of the promise land.
What I Learned about the Children of Israel is that they weren’t trusting God as they should, and instead of being thankful for what they had and listening to God’s word as delivered by Moses they chose to complain and hoop and holler about how God had delivered them out of Egypt to die in the dessert and how they should turn back. Once the submitted to God's will, God’s Word, and began to walk in the authority given to them in God as children of God they began to conquer their enemies.
How This Applies to My Life and Maybe Yours Too
The children of Israel were impatient, and were not fully trusting in God as they should and honestly who could blame them? They were delivered out of Egypt and given the promise of being bought into the promise land, a land flowing with milk and honey but in order to get to that place they had to abide by the laws God put in place and trust in the Lord.
There was a word spoken over me when I was pregnant that I think about if not every day, at least weekly, especially when I am feeling lost or down. A lot of times, when my faith is lacking that word that was spoken over my life is what carries me from day to day and motivates me to keep going. Like the children of Israel sometimes I want instantaneous blessings and miracles and completely forget the things God has done for me in the past and the promises he has made to me. I forget simple things like the fact that he woke me up and gave me breathe in my lungs and that if he never did another thing for me, that one thing is enough.
God has a perfect plan for each of our lives, but we can’t get so caught up in our now that we forget WHO is in charge and how far we’ve come already.
Luke 1:37
“For no word from God will ever fail.”
I think it’s important for us to remember that just like God fulfilled his promise to Israel, he will fulfill his promises to us so we don’t have to stress about. We just have to trust and believe that the Great I AM has us.
As always I hope this blessed you!
