Tuesday 13th August 2019 Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- Exodus 34:1-35
Topic:- God Manifesting Himself To Moses [9]
Text:- Exodus 34:29
God’s abundant truthfulness formed one important feature in these developments. This was especially pertinent to the case and the wants of Moses. The thorough development of this feature formed the secret of his great faith ever after.
We often see this principle illustrated in the history of nations. Nations as such must of course receive their retribution in the present world they having no existence as Nations in any other state. Hence we often see that God holds a Nation responsible for the sins of their fathers.
It would be an illustration of this principle if God should do as I have thought he would do in retribution for the slavery which has so long existed in this nation. The English Nation introduced slavery here; we have perpetuated it, and have done about as much to enhance its calamities as we could do.
I have often thought that God will some day remove this evil in a way which will scourge both of these Nations with most signal and exemplary judgments. Suppose the mighty power of England’s arms should come down upon us and blood should flow over our southern plains till every spot where the tears and blood of the slave have fallen should be saturated with the blood of his oppressors till the carnage of masters and drivers should fatten the cotton fields so long worn out by the bitter toil of the oppressed and other groans should take the place of the long unnoticed and uncared for wailings of broken-hearted mothers and bereaved children.
In this the world might read a lesson about that awful Justice which visits the iniquities of fathers upon the children and upon children’s children.
On the same principle we often see children involved in the guilt and consequent sufferings of their parents. A most cogent motive is thus created to induce parents to obey God. You can easily see that it is most wise in God so to unite parents and children that the latter shall receive good or evil in the present world according to the voluntary course taken by their parents.
Whatever is written in the Bible is for our instruction. Much of the historical part is rich with the most practical instruction conceivable. All this may be said most truly of the passage we have been considering. It teaches:
1. That a personal acquaintance with God is indispensable to one who is to lead the people in reform. We must know God and have God preeminently with us, or we cannot lead on his people to higher degrees of holiness.
We may learn something of God by study and thought; but all this will fail us without special revelations from God. Some expect by the mere force of learning to prepare themselves for usefulness. They seem to take pains to get more learning rather than to get nearer God. They could not make a worse mistake.
The learning is good, but the things God teaches when he draws the soul into deep personal communion with himself are incomparably better.
Moses was before this a very learned man. He was skilled in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and their science was at this period pre-eminently rich. Education and learning there were indeed only that of heathen, yet God saw that this would be valuable to Moses, and therefore arranged it in his providence that Moses should be trained in the royal family with all the facilities for education that Egypt could afford. But he needed infinitely more than all this, and God drew him into His own School to impart it.
2. Every part of this history is replete with instruction to us. Mark for instance the peculiar features of character developed in Moses at this time. A careful study of these will reveal to us the conditions on which we may expect divine revelations to our own souls.
When I see a man deeply impressed with a sense of this dependence upon God, feeling that he cannot get along and bear his great responsibilities without God, I know such a man is being prepared for usefulness. God will meet him and reveal to him the great things of his own character.
Let him only give himself wholly to the work and to the interests of God’s cause, and then have confidence enough to lay hold of the Lord, such a soul never fails of being blessed.
Prayer Point:- Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Have A Glorious Tuesday! www.timogundelejesu.com
