For our meditation let us look at Jonah 4:6, “Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.” (ESV)
God gave Jonah a task to go and preach against Nineveh. Jonah disobeyed at first, but God intervened, and got Jonah to get back on track to do as He bid him to. As Jonah preached to the city of Nineveh, the king along with all the people repented. When God observed their penitence, He relented from destroying the people of Nineveh. However, Jonah was not pleased about the restoration of the people of Nineveh, but was rather angry and annoyed with God for not destroying them as He had proclaimed through Jonah.
Jonah therefore went out of the city, prepared a temporary shelter for himself, and sat down dejected and downcast, hoping that God would destroy the city of Nineveh as He had decided to earlier. The shelter must have been so flimsy that it caused much discomfort to Jonah as the sun’s heat scorched him with the sweltering heat. As God observed this scene, He could have ignored Jonah, but graciously God wanted to teach Jonah a few lessons. It astounds us to realize that God Almighty who is the creator of heaven and the earth, was actually mindful of this one man Jonah, and wanted to change his depression and discouragement to cause a change of heart within him. In order to do this God caused a gourd to grow, and this plant was so enormous that it gave Jonah refreshing coolness from the harsh heat, which Jonah was elated with.
David was in awe of God
The Psalmist David perceived the greatness of God and this is how he portrayed it.
We read in Psalms 8:3-4, “Look at the splendor of your skies, your creative genius glowing in the heavens. When I gaze at your moon and your stars, mounted like jewels in their settings, I know you are the fascinating artist who fashioned it all! But when I look up and see such wonder and workmanship above, I have to ask you this question: Compared to all this cosmic glory, why would you bother with puny, mortal man or be infatuated with Adam’s sons?” (TPT)
As David observed the splendor of God’s creation, he couldn’t help, but ponder as to the greatness of the God who could create these things. The thing that astounded David even more was the fact that this great God who created the moon and the stars in all their splendid array was actually mindful of mere mortal men.
For those who are in a place where you feel no one knows or understands all that you are going through, be certain that God is aware of everything. There is no need to feel discouraged or to complain because we have a God who is mindful of us, and of all that we go through.
God did the same for Jonah who was disheartened and discouraged. The effort that God took to help Jonah understand His heart and His ways is truly amazing to us.
Moses was misunderstood
We read about Moses in Act 7:25, “(He thought that his own people would understand that God was going to use him to set them free, but they did not understand.)” (GNB)
Though Moses grew up as a prince in the palace of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, deep down in his heart he knew that he was not an Egyptian, but a Jew. Moses also was well aware that his own people were slogging as slaves under Pharaoh. Interestingly, Moses also perceived that God had chosen him to deliver the people of Israel from the cruel hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. This fiery zeal was burning so strong in the heart of Moses that he thought that his own people would understand this fact, but sadly the Israelites were unaware of this.
Though the vision and passion to save his own people was strong in Moses, his haste led him to have to flee from Egypt for forty long years. After those long years of tending sheep in the wilderness, the flame and passion that once burned inside Moses gradually died down. As Moses settled himself to the lot of doing the mundane day in and day out, one day he saw a scene that astounded him.
God’s revelation and re-assurance to Moses
This was what Moses encountered as recorded in Exodus 3:2, “There the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a flame coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up.” (GNB)
Over a period of time, the flame that burned inside Moses died down, but the Lord who gave this passion to Moses did not forget his calling. The angel of the Lord had a long discourse with Moses, just to allay all his fears, and reassure him of the call that God had on his life.
Sometimes the ones who receive the calling may forget about it, but the One who called us will never forget His calling. So also the fire may have died down in some, but the One who set the zeal aflame will not forget. There are those who may have lost the vision that they had, but the One who gave the vision will always remember it.
We therefore see that in the life of Jonah and as well as Moses, God took the initiative to encourage their disheartened hearts, and to assure them of His divine plan and purposes.
Moses’ excuse and God’s affirmation
We read in Exodus 4:1-3, “Then Moses answered the LORD, "But suppose the Israelites do not believe me and will not listen to what I say. What shall I do if they say that you did not appear to me?" So the LORD asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered. The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." When Moses threw it down, it turned into a snake, and he ran away from it.” (GNB)
Firstly God astounded Moses at the burning bush that did not burn up, and spoke words of assurance to him. The next thing that the Lord did was to ask Moses to throw the stick that was in his hand to the ground. Interestingly, the stick he threw did not turn into any other animal, but became a serpent. Moses was terrified, and ran from it. God was performing these wonders to encourage and strengthen Moses, and to help him realize that his time had come to fulfill God’s purposes through his life. One of the reasons Moses must have been petrified by the snake was the fact that Pharaoh from whom Moses ran away, had on his head a crown with the figure of a snake on it.
God asked Moses to pick up the snake by its tail. This was a strange instruction as everyone knows that a snake if picked up by the tail can bite the person who picks it up that way. However, when Moses picked it up that way, the serpent became a stick again. The message that God conveyed to Moses was that the authority that Pharaoh had over his head in the form of a serpent, was in the hands of Moses, under his control.
God was assuring Moses that the authority that was given in his hands was far greater than that of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. The Lord was also teaching Moses that the ordinary stick that was in his hand, that he used for many years to tend sheep and protect them, was now a tool in his hands to perform mighty wonders. Moses was given the guarantee by God that He had the power to give life to that which was dead, and could take the life of that which had life. It was God’s way of revealing to Moses that He alone had authority over every creature on the earth, and that there was no need for him to fear anything.
In a way the life of Moses was like the rod in his hand. At one time it would have been part of a tree, and would have had life. Once it was broken off the tree, it would have become a dead stick in the hands of Moses. God was teaching Moses that his life that seemed to have no hope and meaningless, but that the Lord was able to speak newness of life into him. There was no need for Moses to fear because all he needed to do was to trust in the Lord, and move forward. As we ponder on this thought it truly overwhelms us to know that God is concerned about individuals, and He intervenes to strengthen and embolden those whom He has called.
When we consider this we too will like David be prompted to say to God, ‘What is man that you are mindful of him?’ God can fulfill His plans anyhow, but observe how He patiently speaks to Moses to assure him of his calling, and the plans that God wanted to accomplish through him.
No matter what you are going through, the hardships, discouragements, fears or depression, be certain that God is aware of it, and He will intervene to transform our situations and how we feel about them. The one who called us is the Almighty God who is true and faithful to His word.
The rebellion and the destruction
In the book of Numbers we read about the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. In Chapters 12 to 17 there is an account of an uprising against the leadership of Moses. The one who instigated this upheaval was Korah a Levite, who got together a group to revolt against Moses. As God observed Korah, He did not ignore him, but rather decided to intervene in a powerful way.
Even today such groups of people are found everywhere. They will cause resistance in their place of work. If they are in church they will complain about the leadership, and will not be willing to submit to any kind of authority.
Here are some ways we can identify such people. They will never be on time to church, will not want to carry the bible in their hands, will be in church, but meddling with their cell phones, and will have no mind to listen or meditate on the word of God. Any initiative in the church for their children or youth will not be taken seriously. You can give them a good and creative bible reading plan, but they will tell you that they are not interested as they are following something else. They are unwilling to be accountable for anything entrusted to them. Prayer meetings are not important to them, and they will give numerous excuses why they are unable to join in, one of the strange ones being that they forgot about the prayer meeting. Interestingly, these same people will take much efforts about their children’s secular education, and will also be prompt and active to fulfill their secular jobs with no slackness whatsoever.
We are reminded that God is watching over us, and He know if we are serious about things pertaining to Him, and if we are submissive to the authorities that God has established over us. Only when we are obedient to authority, will our children at home be obedient to ours, and so also our subordinates will respect our authority in our work place. If we rebel against the authority of God we will find out that all those under us will also be insubordinate to us.
We read in Numbers 16:30, “But if the LORD does something unheard of, and the earth opens up and swallows them with all they own, so that they go down alive to the world of the dead, you will know that these men have rejected the LORD." (GNB)
Moses predicted a punishment on Korah and his cronies, one that was unheard of, wherein the earth would open up, and swallow all those who rebelled against the leadership of Moses. The judgement would be so terrifying and tragic that everyone would realize that they did not rebel against Moses, but against God Himself.
Whichever church you are part of, remember that the leaders are doing their best, even during these times of pandemic when things are so stressful for everyone. Every Christian Pastor and leader goes through the same stressful situations like everyone else, and their hard labor to share the word of God to their congregations, should not be disregarded. Anyone who disrespects their leaders must be reminded that they are in reality disregarding God.
The distinctive difference
Just as Moses predicted Korah and all his allies were swallowed up when the earth opened up. However, the Lord did not just leave it at that. In Numbers 17 we read about this amazing act of God. The Lord commanded that every leader of the 12 tribes of Israel bring a rod with their name written on it. All of these rods were placed in the tent of meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenant. On one of the rods was the name of Aaron from the tribe of Levi, which was the tribe Moses was from too. Moses placed all of them as the Lord instructed him to before the Ark of the Covenant.
This is what happened the next day as recorded in Numbers 17:8, “The next day, when Moses went into the Tent, he saw that Aaron's stick, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted. It had budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!” (GNB)
Moses was stunned at what he saw the next morning. Overnight the rod of Aaron alone had sprouted, budded, blossomed and had produced ripe almonds. All the twelve sticks were in the same place, under the same conditions, but only the rod of Aaron had flourished. The Lord was conveying something crucial to the Israelites that they needed to accept authority as God had ordained for them. Even a small leaf or bud would have been enough to prove the difference, but notice that the difference was so huge that the stick, budded, blossomed and produced fruit. The lesson God was teaching His people is that He is the one who is constantly raising leaders to lead His people in the right path.
In these days of pandemic, when we have lost many servants of God, the word of God reminds us that until His coming, the Lord will keep raising many more men and women to serve Him. The fruits on the stick may be a semblance of those who brought forth fruit, and have passed on. However, the leaves and buds are evidence that God is in the process of raising up those who will continue to serve Him faithfully. God’s work will never come to an end, and will keep on flourishing until the Lord comes again.
The strong warning
We read in Numbers 17:10, The LORD said to Moses, "Put Aaron's stick back in front of the Covenant Box. It is to be kept as a warning to the rebel Israelites that they will die unless their complaining stops." (GNB)
Aaron’s stick was kept in front of the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder of what could happen to those who chose to rebel against the Lord’s chosen ones.
We looked at Jonah who was discouraged and disheartened. The Lord prepared a huge gourd to protect him from the sweltering heat, just to encourage him. Moses had lost the zeal and fire that was burning inside of him as he fled to the wilderness to escape Pharaoh’s wrath. After forty years, the angel of the Lord appeared in the burning bush, and revived the fire that had almost died down in the heart of Moses who had become an ordinary shepherd. God also encouraged Moses by turning the stick into a snake and vice versa, thereby reminding him that the serpent on Pharaoh’s crown was under the control of his hand. God did this to strengthen Moses, and give him the confidence that he had lost. Finally, when Korah and his men rebelled against Moses, God did an astounding act by destroying them, and re-affirmed His call on Moses and Aaron.
No matter what the situations that you find yourself in, remember that God knows all of your thoughts, heartaches, discouragements, and He understands all that you are going through. Circumstances may seem adverse, but God is aware of all the trial and hardships you face, and He is working on your behalf to bring you speedy deliverance. There is no need to fear, look to the Lord, set aside all slackness, and be ready to meet with the Lord whose coming is close at hand.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
