Questions that Define You

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Exodus 2:10-15; Hebrews 11:24-27

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

What defines who you are? Is it your job; your family; your personality; your financial wellbeing? For some, their addiction defines them, or even one single event in their life; good or bad.

 

In the beginning, your family is most certainly where you get your identity from. In the small town where I grew up in Mid-Michigan, I would tell people that “I am Dwight and Marge’s son”. That was my most basic identity. Before anything else, I was the son of my parents.

 

Because of the circumstances surrounding Moses’ birth, his Mother gave him up so that he could live. Eventually he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. She raised him as her own, even naming him. In fact, the New Living Testament translates that “Pharaoh’s daughter, adopted him as her own son”. 

 

Moses was the biological son of Hebrew slaves, but grew up in the house of Pharaoh. So how did Moses answer the question, “Who are you”? Where did he get his identity from?

 

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.      NIV

 

The Passion Translation, makes an even stronger statement.

 

²⁴ Faith enabled Moses to choose God’s will, for although he was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he refused to make that his identity…            TPT

 

Moses could have lived his whole life in the privilege and luxury of Pharaoh’s household; but he chose not to. Instead, Moses chose to identify with his people; his culture; his birth parents; and ultimately, his God.

 

Many years ago, at a men’s retreat, my Pastor spoke about, “Who are you? Whose are you? Whom do you serve?” For Moses, when he answered those questions, his life took a totally new direction.

 

Like Moses, you make decisions every day of your life based on your answers to these questions. As a result, what direction is your life trending?

 

 

A Mother’s Love

A Series on Living by Faith

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

A mother’s love will lead her to defend her children no matter what the circumstance. I don’t have to look any further than my own Mom. The story is told in our family about the time when my Big Brother was driving her home to South Carolina from Michigan.

 

During the trip, my brother was stopped by a state highway patrolman for speeding. When the officer came to the window, my Mom leaned over, looked the officer in the eyes, and in no uncertain words, told him that he should be chasing real criminals, not innocent tax paying citizens.

 

Moses’ Mother was a lot like this. She actually risked her own life to protect him from Pharaoh. In order to understand how it came to this, we need to look at the back story.

 

Following the death of Joseph and his brothers, a new king of Egypt came to power and became the Pharaoh. He didn’t have the history with Joseph that the preceding Pharaoh did. Therefore, when the Israelites grew significantly in numbers, he saw them as a threat, and decided to enslave them, working them ruthlessly.

 

But the people of Israel continued to grow in numbers. So the Pharaoh told the Israelite midwives to kill all the baby boys. But the midwives feared God, and didn’t obey the Pharaoh’s orders. So then he gave the order to all of his people that, “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

 

It was into this world that Moses was born; it was into this world that his Mother defended him at the risk of her own life as mentioned in Exodus 2.

 

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. ² The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.       NLT

 

It was more than her parental instinct that led Moses’ Mother to hide him from the killing order of Pharaoh. It was her faith that the God of Abraham; the God of Isaac; the God of Jacob; would ultimately fulfill his promise. The promise that He would lead the Israelites back to the Promised Land. Little did she know that her son, Moses, would be called to lead them.

 

The example of Moses’ Mother is still applicable for us today. We make decisions every day by faith, not knowing how the Lord will use us in fulfilling His perfect plan; not knowing how He will use us to demonstrate His love, grace and faithfulness; not knowing what great results might come by our small acts of faith.

 

 

 

 

Flying Above the Clouds

 A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 50:15-25; Hebrews 11:22

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

Flying above the clouds is fascinating. The weather can be dark and stormy on the ground, but when your airplane gets above the clouds, it’s bright and sunny. Of course, the trip through the clouds can be pretty bumpy and scary, but through it all, you have the hope and expectation of flying above the clouds.

 

Joseph knew what it was like to live in the dark and stormy weather of the world. His brothers sold him into slavery, and then lied to their father about it. He was falsely imprisoned when Potiphar’s wife accused him of attacking her. While in prison, he interpreted Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream, but was forgotten when the cupbearer was released.

 

Despite all of the adversity that he faced, Joseph knew how to fly above the clouds. He knew who was in control. He knew the promises of the Lord, and what his role was in fulfilling them. When Jacob died, Joseph spoke these words to his brothers who had sold him into slavery.

 

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.    NIV

 

And later when Joseph was about to die, he said this.

 

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”         NIV

 

We’re living in unprecedented times when life can easily feel chaotic and overwhelming. The pandemic, racial unrest, political antagonism, economic uncertainty and a frantic pace of life can all lead to feeling like the dark and stormy weather of the world seems to be in control.

 

Take heart. God has a plan. Despite the adversity of the world around you, or whatever adversity you are personally experiencing, God is at work. The Lord has promised to be with you; to never leave you; to love you always so that, like Joseph, you can live by faith; flying above the clouds.

 

 

 

We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

 A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 28:10-22; Hebrews 11:21

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

As a teenager I remember singing the song, “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder”. It might have been at church camp; or youth group; or maybe both. It’s a repetitive song, but there are several levels of interpretation that make it quite interesting.

 

The first level has to do with its origin. It is a traditional spiritual, originally written and sung by slaves. Apparently slaves were not allowed to talk when they were working, but they could sing. This song was a means for them to express their desire and hope for freedom from a life of slavery.

 

“We are climbing Jacob's ladder… Every rung goes higher and higher… Rise, shine, give God the glory… Keep on climbing, we will make it… Do you want your freedom? Soldiers of the Cross.”

 

Secondly, the song is obviously about Jacob who was leaving home under the guise of going to his uncle Laban’s to find his future bride. In reality, he was running away from his brother Esau, whose blessing he stole by lying to their Father. Jacob was a scoundrel who couldn’t be trusted. As a result, he was “run out of Dodge”.

 

However, one night during his trip, he had a dream about stairs, not a ladder. Those stairs led him to Heaven; to the God of Abraham; the God of Isaac, his Father. Most important, they led him into the presence of the Living God.

 

For the first time, the promise of the Lord for land and descendants became much more than something for Jacob to steal; much more than his family heritage. There is reason to believe that this experience was a spiritual turning point in Jacob’s life.

 

¹⁶ Jacob woke up and said, “The Lord is here! He is in this place, and I didn't know it!” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “What a terrifying place this is! It must be the house of God; it must be the gate that opens into heaven.”… ¹⁹ He named the place Bethel.    GNT

 

Finally, the third level of interpretation lies in what it means to you and me? How do we apply it to our lives? Have we had an encounter with the Living God? Has He become real to us? Are we experiencing his presence in our life?

 

Jacob is one of the few mentioned as a Hero of the Faith because, by faith, he passed along the blessing of his father and grandfather. His dream about climbing “Jacob’s ladder”, was an important step of his faith journey.

 

What about you? Are you climbing Jacob’s ladder?