The Song of Moses

We took in a cat for some people who had to move. What did our children decide to name it but Moses? Their reasoning was not spiritual, though it may as well have been. This cat is stubborn, pushy, vocal, and disrespectful. However, he is also very useful and amazing. The poor cat has no claws but still manages to catch mice for us. He reminds me that sometimes, things don't happen for us because we're so great and powerful, but because God is and He can use us even with our missing pieces and bad attitudes.

God used Moses....a lot. Moses was an unlikely candidate, I'm sure. He was reluctant, he argued with God, he struggled to like people, he went off on his own a lot, he neglected foundational covenant rules, he lost his temper, etc. Okay, so Moses is a lot like any one of us, right? Except for one thing: Moses really loved God. I mean, you can tell, right? He seemed to have a direct line into the heavens while the rest of Israel walked around like a bunch of bumbling idiots waiting for the next Word. The story of Moses and the Israelites is a VERY human story. The best and the worst of what we can be as humans is smattered all over the Pentateuch. God was so merciful and faithful to continue to use Moses, I think, because Moses just downright was faithful right back to God to continue to press in to hear His voice. I picture him not letting go until he received what he knew was coming from that pillar of fire that was leading them.

I think Moses understood God in a way a lot of us don't. I think he understood that God is a mystery, but even in His mystery, He can be our friend and constant companion. I think Moses let God be His wild, beautiful Self and never, ever set about trying to box Him up or explain Him away. Part of setting a guard over the door of our mouth and not letting any iniquity into our hearts is to be careful about how we think about God. To set a guard over the door of our mouth is to not go around talking about God as if He's this "thing" in our life; and part of not letting iniquity into our hearts is to not be so prideful as to think we can "grab hold" of God. God seems more like the wind, which will likely grab hold of us. He never appeared as a pebble which can be grasped, but rather appeared as fire, as a voice, as a light....things we cannot hold. Even as the Son of Man, no one was able to lay hold of Him or even take His life (He willingly gave it).

I bring all of this up because God has led me into studying Deuteronomy 32. It is a long chapter called "The Song of Moses". I will not write out the whole thing, but I will encourage you to read it....and then read it again. Before the Israelites were to possess the Promised Land, Moses proclaimed this 'song' to them as a warning. It speaks of God's faithfulness and His goodness. It reminds them of their lineage back to Jacob. It then speaks that it is easy when you are so blessed of God to forget from where your blessings came. It speaks then of how the people can be led to worship their new gods, thinking that all that they have, came from this and not from their God who had delivered them. Oh, how important it is to retrace our history and to not get focused on our present too much. Something brought us where we are and we need to remember it. God is so good and faithful that He brings about swift judgement to save the people's hearts from their faithlessness. What He does appears merciless, but I urge you to look deeper and think where the people's hearts would have likely ended up if God had not stepped in to deal with them.

"The Lord will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. He will say: 'Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter! See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver from my hand." -vs. 36-39

Moses finishes with: "Rejoice, O nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people." -vs. 43

Daily, my enemy and God alike remind me of my blessings. My enemy will offer me leaven and say,"Look about you at all you have accomplished. Add more! Guard what you have! Strive to continue doing better to earn praises." My God will offer me manna to my soul by saying," Look about you at all I have done for you. I love you and I am good....don't you believe me yet? Give it away so I may give you more. Pace yourself and lean into me so I may direct you. Follow my voice and I will never lead you astray."

Thank you, Lord, for humbling me as you did the Israelites. Blessed be your name for when you pile on the fruitfulness thick and and blessed be your name for when you take away because I was not faithful in a little nor a lot. Blessed also be your name for the billions of chances you give me as you gave Moses. I long to be in that direct line to you, and thank you for taking such a blemished person and using him. Take me, too.