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The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

Around this time last year I was reading a book by A.P.Boers, entitled ‘The way is made by walking.’ I found it to be an encouraging read, full of insights gained from his pilgrimage on ‘the Camino.’ One of the things he said was that time and again he met the people he believed he was meant to meet. He clearly didn’t view these encounters as coincidental. He saw them as divinely orchestrated. God orders the movements of His people. Sometimes, as with Aaron, we know we are being directed. But on other occasions, it happens without our obedient participation. We are just where we are meant to be, and God has His reasons.That said, let’s do all we can to be sensitive and alert so we can hear whenever God says, “Go…”

These verses describe the reunion of Moses and Aaron after forty years of separation.The Bible teaches that:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9: see also verses 10-12). We also remember that Jesus sent out His disciples in two’s (Mark 6:7), and God called Paul and Barnabas to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:2). In spite of his faults, Aaron ministered alongside Moses for many years, and he became the founder of the priesthood in Israel.

 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

This is in some ways a difficult passage, but I think it teaches a simple principle: namely that leaders need to live it at home. We are called not just to a public ministry, but to private integrity. This is not about perfection, because no-one is going to hit that standard in this life. But leaders can’t be ‘off-duty’ in their morals. What we preach and teach in the public arena we must strive, with God’s help, to live in the privacy of the home.

‘Moses was chastened by God and almost died because he had failed to make his child a son of the covenant (Gen.17:10). How could Moses lead Israel if his own family was not dedicated to God? (See 1 Tim.3:5).’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.50.

In his Old Testament Commentary, Wiersbe also says:

‘After all, Moses couldn’t lead the people of Israel if he was disobedient to one of the fundamental commandments of the Lord (Gen.17:10-14). Even if the Jews didn’t know it, God knew about his disobedience, and He was greatly displeased.’

The need to ‘live it at home’ is, of course, applicable to all believers, but today’s passage speaks particularly about the responsibility of leaders to be people of integrity. Let’s ensure they have our prayers.

The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

If God has called you to a particular task, you can be sure He has also ‘given you the power to do’ it. It’s not a matter of whether you feel you have this power. Feelings have very little to do with it. Some days you may feel massively empowered, and at other times as weak as the proverbial kitten. We live much of our lives unaware of what we actually have ‘under the bonnet’.

God expects us to use what He has given us. It may be ‘ten talents’, ‘five talents’ or ‘one talent’. But whatever we’ve been entrusted with He expects us to invest.

Make sure you do in the world whatever God has given you the power to do.

Back to Exodus next week…I do hope you have enjoyed these short thoughts.. Here is the final one:

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

 “Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. Provoke yourself by recollection, and your affection for God will increase tenfold; your imagination will not be starved any longer, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.” –Oswald Chambers

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:28-31

Exodus notes will continue next week, until then here is another thought:

38. “Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. Provoke yourself by recollection, and your affection for God will increase tenfold; your imagination will not be starved any longer, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.” –Oswald Chambers

 “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” – Billy Graham