Whisper Of God Ministries

Family Ties

This week’s reading in Exodus from Chapters 17 through 25 covered many great encouragements in our walk with our God. We see more of God’s provision of the Israelites’ needs in water coming forth from a rock. We are encouraged to be dependent on each other through the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur. (I like to call that the A&H club. I hope each of you have an Aaron and Hur that support and steady you when you are weary.) We are given God’s Ten Commandments which teach us how we are to live morally fulfilling lives and give us insight into the righteous integrity of God. We read about amazing interaction between God, Moses and His people; the kind of interaction that only comes from a tender, loving, yet just and holy God. Then we’re given insight to the many laws that God provided to protect His people. Finally, we witness the Israelites promising “all the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (Ex 24:7) And God responded with the beautiful plans of the tabernacle-the very place He dwelt among His people.

However, in this teaching, I want us to focus on Exodus 18. In this chapter we get to know Jethro, Moses’ father-in law. Before now, we briefly met Jethro in chapter 2 and do not know much about him other than his family status, he is priest of Midian, and Moses liked him well enough to dwell with him. We don’t read how old Jethro is in this passage, but we do assume that he is older than Moses. Plus we know that Moses has spent about 40 years with him in the desert before God called him to return to Egypt. In those 40 years, Moses has established a relationship of mutual respect and love with Jethro. I’m sure they both influenced each other in different ways.

In the Scriptures, this passage is tucked between God supplying manna in the desert to the Israelites and God’s Ten Commandments. These two stories are stories I’ve heard many times. But this week, God’s Spirit highlighted Jethro to me. Why? Perhaps, to encourage me in my relationships with my family and those closest to me, even those that I’ve known for years. But for sure, God wants us to know and be continually reminded that it is He that saves His elect. It is He that sheds His saving grace on us so that we may know Him, the One, True, living God.

Read with me in Chapter 18 verse 7, “Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 ) Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9) Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10) So Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11) ‘Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.’ 12) Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.”

Watch this order in the Scripture! In verse 8, Moses testified about God’s power and His faithfulness to do what He told Moses He would do. Basically, Moses spoke boldly and comfortably to Jethro about his God. Now catch this. In verses 9 and 10, Jethro is saved. He is converted to a belief in Moses’ God, the God of the Hebrews. Jethro not only rejoiced over God’s goodness but I believe for the first time recognized God for who He truly is. Then Jethro testifies he now knows that the Lord is greater than all. Then he offered up sacrifices to the One, True God and celebrated with family and friends.

Here’s how I read it. God took an existing relationship and used Moses by testifying unashamedly to influence his father-in-law. God shed His saving grace on Jethro. His eyes and heart were opened to God and Jethro went from being blind to having sight. Then, Jethro unashamedly testified about God and no longer looked to the gods he previously worshipped. Then they had a party. (It’s also obvious to me that God’s plan always included people from all nations.)

How have I missed such a great and encouraging story in Exodus? Had you missed it prior to this reading? There it is. God’s saving grace and He allows us to read it and share in the joy. I am reminded that God is the One who saves and He is saving people even now, prayerfully some of my family and yours. Family members are often the hardest people to talk with about God. Nonetheless, we should look for opportunities to testify about God because we may have an important influence on them.

Who in your family needs God’s saving grace? Are you willing to unashamedly share Jesus Christ with them so that today may be the day of their salvation? Ask God’s Spirit to give you opportunities to influence people for His Kingdom. It is a true privilege and I believe one of our callings.

As I close, may I share with you a short story of God’s saving grace? As I was washing the lunch dishes one day last week, my five year old came up to me quite excitedly, desperately needing my attention. As I bent down to be face to face with him, he unashamedly tells me that Jesus now lives in his heart. He informed me that “in the dark, in his bed” he asked Jesus to live in him. I praise God for His saving grace. I am now planning a party!

Written by
Ashley Jones

Proclaiming God’s Name

The reading for this week covered Exodus 7-16, which includes the plagues of Egypt and the Exodus from there by the Israelites. I want us to consider for a few moments this week an interesting verse – “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” - 9:16. There are several fascinating parts to this verse, but the part I want to look at concerns God’s name. Moses is told to tell Pharaoh these words. What holds my attention is the comment about God’s name being proclaimed to all the earth. In Biblical times, your name spoke to who you were. Often today we haphazardly name children, but in the time of the Bible parents took great care in naming their sons and daughters. Their name reflected their character. So it is with God. When we hear his name, it tells us about Him.

Over the last several months I have been teaching various classes on the Lord’s Prayer. In that model prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples we find at least six petitions. The very first petition is “Hallowed be your name.” This verse reminded me of the fact that in the model prayer, the very first concern or petition that Christ tells us to pray about is for God’s name to be made holy. I reflected back to last year as we read through the entire Bible. There were so many passages where God talks about doing this or that “for his name.” The Temple that Solomon built is for God’s name. One of the Ten Commandments concerns the use of God’s name. His name, his character is very important to God, and He wants it to be important to us as well.

My challenge for the class when I teach on this petition is for them to examine their prayer life that week. So often when we pray, we pull out our spreadsheet of wants, needs and concerns, and launch right into the list. Christ teaches us to pray very differently. In fact, the first three petitions in the Lord’s Prayer are all about God. Half of our prayer should be centered on God, his Name, his Kingdom and his Will. In the passage before us from Exodus, we see that one of the reasons for the plagues on Egypt is so that God’s name can be proclaimed in all the earth. He wants us to sing his praises, to proclaim his name to everyone we meet.

In the week ahead, consider these ideas. Are you living a life that proclaims God’s name in how you live? Can people see that you are different because you are a Christian? If not, then why not? Secondly, look at your prayer life this week. When you go to the Lord each day, are you praying that His name would be hallowed or made holy in you? While we know He is holy, and we don’t bring anything to add to him, we should be praying that we live to proclaim His name to those around us. Are you as concerned about God’s name as He is?

Here I am Lord, Send Aaron!

Exodus Chapter 3 and 4 are very powerful chapters. You will remember that they concern the call of Moses by God to go back to Egypt and lead the nation of Israel out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses had fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian and had been tending the sheep of his father-in-law. God calls him by appearing to him in the bush that burns but is not consumed.

The promises of God to Moses are extraordinary. God tells him that He will be with him. Furthermore, God gives to Moses a wonderful gift, God’s eternal name – what we know today as “Yahweh.” He tells Moses what to do and what to say. Basically, He lays it all out for Moses in a providential plan. Moses does not buy into this plan very well. When Moses asks God what he is to do when the people do not believe him, God gives him three signs to perform to convince them. Finally, after Moses has exhausted his options in trying to come up with excuses involving the circumstances for not going back, he turns to his personal characteristics and gift. He tells God that he is not capable of doing this great task. After all, Moses claims not to be an eloquent speaker. Eventually, he simply asks God to find someone else to do it. He pushes God and pushes God with doubts about himself. The Bible tells us that Moses argued with God so much that “the LORD’s anger burned against Moses” and he gives him his brother Aaron as his mouthpiece.

The verse I want to center on is 4:11, “The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?’” How often do we look at the opportunities God lays out before us and pass by them because we don’t feel like we are capable of doing the job? How often do we evaluate our own abilities and forget that God gives them to us? How often do we forget the very fact that it is God who has called us out? Why? Why do we, like Moses, try to evaluate our own talent in the face of the Divine Call?

I remember when Whisper of God Ministries was just a call and a vision. God used many different people to encourage me to take the opportunity God was putting before me. Frankly, I was scared to death and felt very inadequate for the task. Yet the burden of the call burned within my heart. I was so close to not moving forward with the vision that God had given me because I was considering the call within the limited scope of my own abilities. Then God laid on my heart a quote by F. W. Boreham in his marvelous work, Boulevards of Paradise. In the chapter entitled, Be Brave, he writes this concerning what it means to follow God’s calling in your life, “It means that, whenever my Lord bids me be what I am not, He means that, by His almighty grace, He will make me what, apart from Him, I could never have become.”

Moses took God up on the promises that were made to him. Scared as he was he went back to Egypt and led a nation into the Promised Land. Is God calling you to do more for His Kingdom? Are you resisting that call because you are too busy? Maybe you feel like you don’t have the talent, the time, or the ability! Are you simply making excuses because you are scared of what God might want you to do? Maybe you are comfortable where you are and don’t want to change. Remember, if he bids you to come and do, He will make you into the servant He needs you to be to accomplish the task for His Kingdom.

Important Announcement: Over the last several weeks, I have been praying about these weekly teachings because of my heavy travel schedule. God has answered my prayer. I am delighted to announce that in some of the weekly emails in the days ahead, Mrs. Ashley Jones will begin writing for Whisper of God Ministries. Ashley and her husband Van have been dear friends for many years. Ashley is a gifted teacher. She has encouraged me in this ministry in many different ways. I am trilled that she has agreed to partner with us in working for God’s Kingdom. She has a great and deep love for God and His Word. Ashley has answered God’s call. I know you will be blessed by the the work God will do through her.