WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND Exodus 4:2?
This question is taken from the last of the second part of the life of Moses. Moses’ life divides into three periods of forty years each. The first as the son of Pharaohs daughter, the second on the back side of the desert as a sheep-herder and the third as the delivery of Gods people from Egyptian bondage and as the leader of God’s people to the brink of the Promised Land.
It is while tending his father-in-laws sheep that God appeared to him and called him to the work he had been in preparation for eighty years. In response to God’s call Moses begin to make excuses but for each excuse he offered God had an answer. [God has the answer to all our excuses and questions if we will only turn to Him and trust Him.] One of the excuses Moses used is the people will not believe me nor harken to my voice. To which God asked WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND. Moses replied a rod then God said cast it on the ground and when he did it became a serpent. God then commanded Moses to take it by the tail.
It is that question God asked Moses I want us to consider in this chapter. Ever considered what you have in your hand. You may be like some and answer nothing but I beg you look closely though they may seem empty yet they are full. You may ask what are they full of and I answer many things of which I shall discuss in this chapter.
First there is the power of choice. This power is given each and every one and it is this power that makes us different from any other of God’s creation.
It is this choice that makes us a free moral agent. By being a free moral agent we have the power to between right and wrong. It is that power that creates a line God will not cross because He wants us to serve Him because we want to and love Him.
Few realize the power and importance of choice. Thus they fail to realize the many things that hinge here. Choice determines course and course determines consequence.
Hebrews 11:25 tells us Moses made a choice and gives us a glimpse of the consequence of that choice. It says Moses chose to suffer the affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. What makes Moses choice so important and vital is he was in line to be the next king of Egypt being the son of Pharoses daughter? Then because of that choice Moses became known as the friend of God and the only man God talked face to face with. Also because of his choice he is recorded in Hebrews chapter eleven as one of the heroes of faith.
Saul the first king of Israel made a choice for in I Samuel chapter fifteen he is commissioned by God to go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass. [v.5] Then later in the chapter we find where he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and the best of the sheep and cattle. [V.8-9] we also read where he later told Samuel the prophet the people took the spoil to sacrifice unto the Lord. [v.21]. the point I make is Saul choose not to obey the voice of the Lord.
Remember Saul was chosen of God yet Saul chose not to obey God. Because of his choice he was rejected by God. The last we know of Saul he took his own life for when his need of God was greatest God couldn’t be found. Listen to his remorseful lament to Samuel GOD IS DEPARTED FROM ME AND ANSWERETH ME NO MORE NEITHER BY PROPHETS NOR BY DREAMS. I Samuel 28:15
You can choose not to obey God but remember when you do and when your need of God is greatest He may not be there to help you. In fact Proverbs 1:26 tells us He may laugh at your calamity and mock when fear comes.
Of the choices me make let me mention a few.
EDUCATION:
We choose the kind of education we receive thus we are in part the result of the education we choose.
Education is important for two reasons. One socially as a good education will help us socially as we live in an educated society. Second spiritually as most men and women that have amounted to anything for God have been men and women who were educated. Therefore parents we should encourage ye make our children go to school and study so they can be somebody for God.
COMPANION:
This is perhaps the second most important decision any one makes and should be made prayerfully. One’s companion can make or break them spiritually economically and morally. It will determine the kind of home they have. I sit in a home some years ago and listened to a young man with his wife made the statement weeping as he said, “I want a home like my mom and dad has and like I was raised in. The parents of that young man had made a decision to serve God and make their Companionship is very vital to the kind of home people have. There are a lot of homes being destroyed because young couples failed to make God the center of their home.
ETERNAL DESTINY:
We are in this life for two very important reasons. One is to live to glorify God and the other is to prepare for eternity. As we make decisions in life we should keep these two things in mind for the decisions we make will affect both these reasons for living. Make no mistake about it we all are going to stand before God and give an account of the deeds done in this life and the decisions we make today will determine the outcome of His judgment. They will determine whether we go to Heaven to live with God through all eternity or to hell and live with Satan and the fiends of hell through all eternity. As Joshua said to the children of Israel not long before he died I say to you CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.
RESPONSIBILITY:
We are responsible creatures and are responsible to God our family our church and our country. I believe our responsibility lies in that order and should be kept in that order. Responsibility includes accountability and many today even within the church do not want responsibility or accountability as they want to live a free happy go lucky life. But whether one wants responsibility and accountability the have it any way. Let me give you some examples:
We will be held accountable to God for the way we discharge our responsibility and will be rewarded accordingly. Remember to whom much is given much is required. Jesus illustrates this in the parable of talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30. There he tells of a king traveling to a far country that called his servants and delivered unto them his goods then took his journey. Jesus says each servant received a certain amount of goods [talents]. Upon returning he called his servants and demanded they give an account of their stewardship. Jesus also said the king rewarded each according to the discharge of their duty.
We can sit around twilled our thumbs make excuses for not discharging our responsibility or we can be faithful and receive a reward not for success but for faithfulness. In Revelation 2:10 the risen Christ says to the church of Smyrna BE THOU FAIHFUL UNTO DEATH AND I WILL GIVE YOU A CORWN OF LIFE. The one thing God expects of each of us
is to be faithful in the discharge of our responsibilities. Each and every one can do that.
Often when preaching I remind people no one can do everything but everyone can do one thing and that one thing is to be faithful. That is the one thing God expects of each of us and if we are faithful we will receive a crown of life. I have to remind myself that that my number one responsibility is to be faithful and leave the rest to the Lord.
INFLUENCE
We also hold influence in our hands. We all are influencing someone whither we are aware of it or not. Someone is trying to walk in our footsteps. I remember when a boy at home and my dad would be plowing in the garden getting it ready to plant. I remember trying to step where he stepped. I wanted to be like dad and thought if I could walk in his footsteps I would be like him. However I soon realized I couldn’t make the step’s he made so I gave up and just followed along after him. I now look back and realize it wasn’t stepping where dad stepped that would make me like him but it was following the example he left. It isn’t stepping where Jesus stepped that is in His footsteps that make us like Him it is following the example He left for us in His word. Sometimes the person wanting to imitate our life may do so after we have passed from the scene of life. I remember when our boys were at home my wife would lay on the couch and read to them. One time she read the story of Robert E. Lee and how he became a civil engineer. Our youngest son said I am going to be a civil engineer he never altered from his goal all through school and today he is a civil engineer. So my friend as you read these lines make your choices wisely prayerfully and with the thought you are or will influence someone.
MOST PRICELESS POSSESSIONS
I say possessions because there are two. Those possessions are the church and our soul. Let’s look at them individually.
First the church and by church I don’t mean the local church we attend or denomination we are a member and part of but the church bought by the blood of the lamb the church of the redeemed. I count the church among our most priceless possessions because of its purpose and influence. The purpose of the church is to carry out the great commission which is to carry the message of salvation to all nations and people.
The laity is the key to the church and its advancement. It moves forward or backward according to the decisions they make. The church may become checked but the right choices will not only uncheck it but gain the victory. However once checkmated there is no hope for there is no power that can help out of that situation. However we do not have to become checkmated for our God knows the right moves to make and He will help us make them if we will only seek them.
In Revelation chapters two through three we have a picture of Jesus walking in the midst of the church to commend reprove correct encourage and empower. Thus we do not have to be checkmated for He is the master chess player.
We are promised that if we seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness all these things shall be added unto us. What every local church needs is to seek God and His direction and He will give it to us. As I have read through the Bible one of thing stands out strong is how detailed God is in giving directions to His people. He promises that if we follow those directions He will be our God and will reward us again not for our success but for our faithfully flowering His directions. He also warns if we fail to follow His directions we will suffer the consequence. I fear many local churches are suffering the consequence of not flowering His direction in the past and are now reaping the consequence.
However our most priceless possession is our immortal soul. Remember when God created man He breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul. This body of ours wills one day return to the dust from which it was created but our soul will live on forever.
Remember no matter what you have or how much you are worth nothing is as valuable as the soul. Bill Gaither illustrated this in his song IT IS FINISHED. The song begins with THERES A LINE THAT’S BEEN DRAWN THROUGH THE AGES ON THE LINE STANDS THE OLD RUGGED CROSS ON THE CROSS THE BATTLE IS RAGING FOR THE GAIN OF MANS SOUL OR ITS LOSS. The battle that is raging is the battle between God and Satan for you and me that is our soul. You and I decide who wins in this battle. Remember it is for the gain of our soul that Jesus left the splendor of Heaven to die on the cross to purchase our souls freedom.
