“One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your companion?’ He answered, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid, and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’ When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.” [1]
God makes room for misfits! People imagine that they must clean up their lives, making themselves acceptable by setting aside every flaw and cleansing their lives so that God will accept them. Let me say that if you wait until you have perfected your life, you will never come to the Saviour. With this series of messages, I want to convince all who listen to this message that the Living God will receive them, even with all their flaws, even laden with all the blemishes on their lives. God is in the business of making bad people good, and that means receiving the misfits and transforming them into people of character that glorify the Name of the Living God.
When I speak of misfits, I’m sure you have some idea of what I mean. A misfit is someone who doesn’t align his or her life with the precepts assumed by polite society. I serve as a spokesman for the Risen Saviour, so when I speak of failing to order one’s life with society, I’m speaking in particular of aligning one’s life to godly principles. To be certain, some socially acceptable attitudes are opposed to righteousness. It is ungodly to harbour antisemitic views, regardless of society’s approval. It is a transgression of divine law to hold views that are racist, whether culture approves or not. It is against the will of God to approve of unrighteousness, even though your culture may approve.
The first misfit thought he was all that and a bag of chips. Many people wouldn’t think of Moses as a misfit; but make no mistake, he was an egomaniac. What we must acknowledge is that an egomaniac does not glorify the Lord. And yet, God makes room for egomaniacs. I feel qualified to speak in this situation, having considerable experience in the condition featured. Perhaps some who listen recognize that they are qualified to provide guidance in identifying the condition. Leaders tend to be self-confident; however, if they will ever become great leaders, they must learn to follow, and following can be a very difficult ability to cultivate in the life of an egomaniac.
The egomaniac in question became one of the greatest leaders ever produced by the nation Israel. Moses is honoured to this day, perhaps excessively so. The honour is well deserved in that Moses was the great Law-giver. And he was God’s instrument to deliver the people from slavery before leading them through the trackless wilderness and leading them up to the edge of the land God had promised they would possess.
MOSES – THE FIRST FORTY YEARS — Moses was not born into royalty; he found his way into Egyptian royalty through deceit. It wasn’t his deceit that obtained entrance into the royal family; rather, it was deceit that originated in the court of Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh had enslaved the people of Israel. Nevertheless, the LORD was blessing this people, and despite their slavery, they were prospering. The continued growth of the slaves prompted the pharaoh to issue a dastardly order that was born out of fear—kill all the male children born to any Israelite! This is the biblical account.
“There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
“Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live’” [EXODUS 1:8-16].
It was the dastardly order issued by Pharaoh that brought the son of a slave into his household. This is the account of how Moses came to live as Pharaoh’s son from the biblical account. “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, ‘Because,’ she said, ‘I drew him out of the water’” [EXODUS 2:1-10]. Thus, the son born to Hebrew slaves was rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh and taken into the royal household. The son of a slave became the adopted son of the Pharaoh.
Though this is the more immediate story of Moses’ inclusion within the royal family, the story of his ascension to royalty begins many years before the boy was born. That story begins with God’s promise to Abram and follows a direct line through his descendants, through Isaac, Jacob, and his sons, and down to Egypt.
You will remember that God called Abram from Mesopotamia, promising him that he would become a great nation. The account is given early in the Book of Genesis. There, we read, “The LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
“So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him’” [GENESIS 12:1-7].
Abram’s transition from a man living as a pagan to the progenitor of a great nation, a nation which would bless all mankind, would not be easy. It would require centuries and heartache for the transition to be complete. Later, God would reassure Abram, now renamed Abraham, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” [GENESIS 15:13-16].
Abram could not have foreseen all that would take place in order to accomplish what God was telling him. Abraham was learning to walk by faith and not by sight; he was learning that the LORD was trustworthy. We read, “[Abram] believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness” [GENESIS 15:6].
Of course, through God working in what can only be described as unexpected and even mysterious ways, the descendants of Abraham did go down to Egypt. Joseph’s brothers rightly feared retribution, but Joseph had another view of what had taken place. They had sold Joseph into slavery, declaring him dead to his father. However, God was at work in the young man’s life. Now, many years later, after the entire family moved to Egypt and Israel had died, the brothers were fearful because of their evil actions years before. Joseph’s view of all that had transpired is wrapped up in his response to his brothers. Joseph said, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones” [GENESIS 50:19-21].
Though Joseph didn’t say it, he demonstrated confidence in the sovereignty of the Living God. Joseph demonstrated confidence in God, who promises, “I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous” [JOSHUA 1:5-6a]. Joseph knew the reality of the LORD’s presence, a presence that comforts God’s own dear child with the promise, “I am with you always” [MATTHEW 28:20b]. This is the account of how Israel came to be in Egypt. It was all providential, save for the fact that the LORD had foretold what would happen, and His hand was guiding the people whom He had chosen.
Centuries passed and the Book of Exodus opens with this statement. “There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” [EXODUS 1:8]. This is how Israel became a nation of slaves, and this is how Moses, the son from a family within the nation of slaves, became the stepson of Pharaoh. For forty years Moses was a member of the royal household.
Little is known of Moses during these years in the royal household. We have a brief statement delivered by Stephen when he delivered his defence before those who would ultimately take his life. Of Moses, Stephen said, “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds” [ACTS 7:22]. We would expect that one raised in the royal household would be educated in all the wisdom of the land. Jewish historians teach that Moses was instructed “in astronomy, astrology, interpretation of dreams, mathematics, magic, [and] hieroglyphics” in addition to other subjects. Eadie wryly notes, “Jewish legend fills this portion of his life with romance." [2] The romanticized biography does fit with Stephen’s assertion that “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” It is quite probable that Moses came into close contact with the Egyptian priesthood, who were guardians of wisdom and culture. Josephus even asserts that Moses was a priest of Osiris in Heliopolis. [3]
Stephen also noted that “Moses … was mighty in his words and deeds.” He was speaking, of course, of the young Moses before He became the great Law Giver. Josephus also relates that Moses served in the Egyptian army, perhaps for twenty years following his education. He relates the story that Moses led the army in a great conquest of the Ethiopians. [4] His skill as a general would serve to verify Stephen’s assessment that “Moses … was mighty in … deeds.”
Moses was forty years old when two things happened that reveal something about his character. Again, referring to Stephen’s statement, “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” [ACTS 7:23-25].
Moses was raised by his mother, hearing the stories of what it meant to be a slave to the Egyptians. Like many young, white social justice warriors today, he assumed that he was to be a deliverer, employing his own “wisdom.” Our text makes it apparent that Moses wasn’t motivated by blind rage. We read, “He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” [EXODUS 2:12]. Moses didn’t want the normal consequences of his action to hinder him. So, he looked about deliberately to ensure that he could get away with killing the Egyptian. Then, when it was obvious that he had actually killed the man, he buried him in the sand.
I’m willing to give Moses this, that he was probably motivated by a desire to see his countrymen delivered from their bondage. This was likely the sudden unleashing of passion that he had long harboured. He was revealing his strong sense of justice imbibed with his mother’s milk as he at last began to identify with the Hebrews.
Moses was not a youth when he killed the Egyptian—he was a grown man. However, his rash act reveals him as impulsive, a man controlled by strong emotions. The text informs us that he had gone “out to his people and looked on their burdens.” While visiting his people, “he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.” The emphasis is on Moses’ identity with the Hebrews; and yet, Moses must surely have witnessed this scene many times before in the years leading up to this one event. Egyptians beating Hebrew slaves surely wasn’t uncommon. The Hebrews were slaves! The Egyptians were a master race! All these facts align to indicate that killing the Egyptian was a deliberate, determined action. Moses assumed that the Hebrew slaves would see him as a deliverer. Instead, they saw him as just another Egyptian, though perhaps one that thought of himself as a deliverer. They were not about to trust an Egyptian under any circumstances, and in their eyes, Moses was just another Egyptian.
MOSES – A STUDY IN PRESUMPTION — Talk about privilege! Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s household. Though he had been born to a Hebrew mother married to a Hebrew father, Moses was a prince in Egypt, a member of the royal family. He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as her own child, though he was nursed by his own mother. Moses assumed that he could do as he wished. In this, Moses was not that dissimilar from some, perhaps even many, who are raised with great privilege in this day.
A great heroine during the Second World War was Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands, who had come to the throne as a very small child when her father died. On one great Dutch holiday early in her reign, her mother led Wilhelmina to the balcony of the palace to receive the cheers of the crowds. Thrilled with it all, the little queen asked, “Mommy, do all these people belong to me?” Her mother replied, “No, dear, you belong to them.” It was a lesson the little queen didn’t forget. Moses apparently didn’t learn that lesson during the formative years of his life.
Privilege generates presumption. This is not only a problem for those born into nobility or those who attain a position within society, but also a rather common problem for much of western society. We are a privileged people, though it may not feel as if we are privileged when we are filing taxes or struggling to pay the bills that come due each month. However, we are wealthy beyond comprehension compared to the past. Moses would have been envious of our lives. Let me give you some examples of what I mean.
Ten years ago, more than one-half of American homes had three or more television sets. Over a quarter of homes had two television sets. Only eighteen percent of homes had only one television set at that time. Effectively, every home in the United States had at least one television set. About ninety percent of homes in Canada have access to the Internet in their home. If we count desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and handheld devices, over ninety percent of Canadian homes have a computer. This means that even those whom we count as impoverished enjoy luxuries that were unimaginable only a couple of decades past.
Home ownership in Canada approaches three-quarters of households. Almost eighty percent of driving-age population in our nation owns at least one automobile. In the United States, the figure is over ninety-five percent! And we Canadians have the highest percentage ownership of pickup trucks and SUVs in the entire world—over eighty percent of all new vehicles sold are pickups and SUVs. We are in love with these gas guzzlers, gladly paying the premium in lower mileage in order to drive these vehicles.
All these tidbits of information combine to point out that we who live in North America are a privileged people. Even those we call “poor,” are wealthy beyond compare, especially when we are compared to those living mere years past this present day. Our wealth makes us the envy of the world! Our privilege draws people from across the globe to seek to come to Canada and the United States.
I’m not suggesting that we should feel guilt because we live in Canada. Our privilege does not hinder the remainder of the world, and renouncing our privilege will do nothing to elevate those who are still in a socio-economic struggle because they live in nations that are less privileged. Canada expends enormous amounts of moneys on foreign aid in a futile attempt to address issues of economic inequity in our world. I’m not about to recommend a political response to the inequities of our world, but I am quite certain that feeling guilt about who we are and where we are blessed to live is not a reasonable or valid means for changing world inequities.
What is evident in our study of Moses’ life to this point is that his privilege had generated an attitude of presumption. Just because he lived as nobility did not qualify Moses to be a deliverer of the oppressed Hebrews. Just because he dined on delicacies each day did not qualify him to rescue anyone. He did have a responsibility to be honourable and righteous, but he misconstrued the responsibility imposed by life as a means of compelling others to his way of thinking.
Have you ever heard the old saw, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions?” Well, Moses’ intentions were good, but he was operating in the power of the flesh; and the flesh has no lasting power. We tend to be enamoured of people with notable ability, but ability is not evidence of spiritual power. Years ago, I read the statement, “One demonstration of power is worth a thousand sermons.” The preaching of the Apostles was irritating to the religious leaders, but when they healed a crippled man, the fabric erected by the religious leaders fell apart. All that those leaders could do was bluster, demanding of the disciples, “By what power or by what name did you do this” [ACTS 4:7]? They could not deny what they witnessed!
In the flesh, the disciples hid in an upper room, hoping they would not be discovered. Filled with the Spirit of the Risen Christ, they could not be silent. The Spirit-filled saints went out into the streets of the city and proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, and that He offers life to any who will receive Him as Master over life. The message of those Spirit-empowered saints was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” [ACTS 2:38].
The Lord God changes even those whom we imagine can never be changed. Late in the days of his journey through life, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” [1 TIMOTHY 1:12-17].
You would need to remember how evil this man had been. You will recall how the Lord’s servant, Ananias, was beyond reluctant to go to Saul of Tarsus when the Lord commanded him to go. Saul had been on his way to Damascus with orders to seize any who identified as belonging to the Way. It made no difference whether they were men or women, they were to be taken to Jerusalem where they would be arraigned before the Sanhedrin. And already, the first member of the Way had been executed, and Saul was present, giving his approval and assisting in the death of Stephen.
God, however, had other plans. The Lord Himself arrested the mad persecutor, striking him down with the brilliance of His glory. Now, Saul was in Damascus, and he was praying to a God he had formerly opposed. So, the Lord appeared to Ananias. Here is the account as given in the Book of Acts. “Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized” [ACTS 9:10-18].
This new convert was a conundrum. Only days before he had been persecuting the followers of the Way; now he was preaching the same message they had declared. In fact, his delivery was so effective that those who opposed the Way were unable to stand before him to refute what he was teaching. They threatened his life, compelling him to escape in the night.
He travelled to Jerusalem where he endeavoured to join with the disciples. Note the response of the disciples to this new convert. “When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple” [ACTS 9:26]. Saul’s reputation preceded him. No one was willing to risk being killed because they befriended him. He was a killer, a known commodity. However, those whom he sought to join didn’t fully understand that God changes hearts.
I need to pause to stress a truth that is often overlooked in our day. God does change hearts; God does redeem bad people, transforming their lives. And the people of God must not turn away those who are newly converted just because we know their past. We must welcome those who confess faith in the Son of God, receiving them as fellow believers in the Risen Son of God. Be generous and be gentle.
However, there is another side to that equation that is equally important. The churches of the land often think that they can capitalize on the testimony of notable people by promoting them quickly to the position of spokesmen for the Lord. Just because a person is well-known in the world does not mean that they will honour God. God sent Saul into the desert where he would have time to grow [cf. GALATIANS 1:15-17].
Saul needed time apart, time to grow in grace. He may not have realized his need, but despite his extensive rabbinical training, Saul could never be a godly leader until he was able to be led. The history of the Faith in the past fifty years is dotted with tales of individuals who professed the Faith and assumed the right to be a spokesman because they were notorious. Eldridge Cleaver was the “Minister of Information” for the Black Panthers in the 1960s. He professed to have converted to Christianity and was almost immediately invited to speak in numerous churches and on many Christian programs. Very quickly, it became obvious that he was ignorant of basics of the Faith, and revealed himself to be a promoter of himself without truly understanding the grace of God. In the mid-70s, he invented and attempted to market a line of pants known as “penis pants.” [5] Evangelists and preachers attempted to use him to promote their own cause, but the effort may have done more damage to the cause of Christ than anyone could imagine.
More recently, Kanye West made a very public declaration of his faith in Jesus Christ. He was praised for his Sunday services conducted in various locales. However, many noted that the “services” were less about Jesus and more about Kanye West. Perhaps West is truly converted, I certainly pray that this is the case. However, it is doubtful that he has more to teach others concerning Christ than does the humble servant who has faithfully preached for decades and ministered to his congregation. One dear old saint who has faithfully mentored other ladies has a track record to inspire confidence, whereas Mr. West is untaught and perhaps even unteachable—time will tell.
I’m not suggesting that just because one has been a professing Christian for a long time they deserve to be heard. It does not matter how long you’ve been on the journey, what is important is how far you have come. Nevertheless, within each community of faith will be found those blessed saints who have walked with the Lord; and their lives reflect the grace that marks them as having been with the Lord. Those blessed ones who have walked with the Master share a kinship with the first disciples.
I am always encouraged when reading the accounts detailing the encounters of the first disciples with the religious leaders. In Acts we read of an incident when Peter and John were haled before the Sanhedrin to give an account for healing a lame man. “When [the Council] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” [ACTS 4:13]. What a perfect example of those whom we should listen to—people who have been with Jesus! Every congregation has such people, though it is unlikely that they promote themselves. Yet, you know who they are because they exude grace and confidence. Equipping people withsuch stature doesn’t just happen—it requires time in the presence of the Master!
MOSES – THE NEXT FORTY YEARS — His name was Cassius Clay. Bursting on the boxing scene like a lightning flash, he blustered, “I am the greatest;” and his speed and agility made believers out of everyone. “I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” he boasted. He was arguably the greatest boxer the world had ever seen. However, his health declined and he died like all mankind. He mellowed in his later years, becoming more of a statesman than a braggart. He was beloved by many when he grew gentle.
Time has a way of mellowing people—making them meek. However, a meek person is not necessarily a weak person. And Moses was enrolled in God’s school where he was learning how to bring his strength under control. The LORD would say of Moses, “The man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” [NUMBERS 12:3]. However, anyone familiar with the life of the great Lawgiver after God sent him to confront Pharaoh and then to lead the People of Israel to the Promised Land would never conclude that Moses was weak.
I know for a fact that time spent in the presence of the Son of God tends to smooth out rough corners. Allowing God to work in the life of an individual removes many of the aspects that draw attention to the individual; and when God has been working in the life of that one who has walked with Him, that individual lives for God and for the glory of the Living God. This is the message we see when the Apostle writes, “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:11-15].
We pray, seeking the face of the Saviour, and in the process of seeking Him, we are being transformed. This is the transformation we see when Paul writes, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [ROMANS 8:28-30].
God is even now transforming us who know the Saviour, and the process becomes more pronounced as we spend time with Him. We know this will end for us, because we are told, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” [PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21].
Elsewhere, we are informed, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” [1 JOHN 3:2].
The promise of God is that we shall bear the image of His Son. Paul has written, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” [1 CORINTHIANS 15:49]. This is the promise of God—we shall be like Christ. This is the destiny of all who are twice-born children of the Living God. We are being equipped for Heaven itself.
What is especially exciting is that we who have been saved are being changed now! This is the reason we are encouraged by the Apostle’s admonition and the rationale behind what he has written. Paul wrote, “You must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” [COLOSSIANS 3:8-10].
We are being changed, and the process of transformation at present is dependent upon our walk with the Saviour. As we walk with the Lord, as we spend time in His presence, He is changing us into His own image. We don’t read the Bible just to understand God; we are actually being changed through consuming the Word! We don’t pray just to get things from God; we are being changed by seeking His face! Child of God, what you are is not what you shall be. When you are discouraged because you know you aren’t all you want to be, know that God is not finished with you. He is working in your life even now; and you are being changed into the image of Christ so that Heaven will actually be home for you! Indeed, the Apostle has accurately testified to what we can’t begin to imagine shall be at the last when he writes, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” [1 CORINTHIANS 13:12]. How exciting to anticipate what God has planned for His people. It is true that, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” [2 CORINTHIANS 3:18]. Amen!
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] John Eadie, A Biblical Cyclopaedia; Or, Dictionary of Eastern Antiquities, Geography, Natural History, Sacred Annals and Biography, Theology, and Biblical Language (The Religious Tract Society, London 1883) 445
[3] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Hendrickson, Peabody MA 1987) 787–789
[4] Josephus, op. cit. 69-70
[5] “Pants For Men Only – Penis Pants By Eldridge Cleaver In The 1970s,” November 11th, 2018, Design, https://designyoutrust.com/2018/11/pants-for-men-only-penis-pants-by-eldridge-cleaver-in-the-1970s/, accessed 29 July 2020
