“MOSES”

Scripture Reading: Heb.11:24-27,13,16.

‘God’ has one great desire - to have what may be termed a people of His best.

Until ‘He’ has such a ‘people’, ‘He’ will never be wholly ‘satisfied’.  

There may be those who will accept ‘His second-best’, but only a people set on ‘His very best’ will truly satisfy ‘His own heart’. 

But since ‘the attainment’ unto ‘His best’ is laden with ‘conflict’ and ‘cost’ and ‘discipline’, and much that is utterly contrary to ‘the whole course of nature’, it is not everybody- 
in fact, it is but a comparative few - who will go on with ‘Him’ to ‘His best’.

This is seen in all the Scriptures, and there are some outstanding illustrations of it.

They are found in every ‘Dispensation’.

For example, whilst we are not to say that ‘the generation’ which perished in ‘the wilderness’, which had been brought out in virtue of ‘precious blood’ and by ‘initial faith’ - for “By faith they passed through the Red Sea” (Heb. 11:29) - whilst we are not to say that that ‘generation’ represents ultimate and final ‘loss of Salvation’, it is nevertheless clear that they lost ‘God’s full thought’ for them, and it was a ‘great and grievous loss’, always held up in ‘the Scriptures’ as an example of ‘tragedy’, ‘failure’ and ‘disappointment’.  

We are not to say that ‘the greater number’ of those who went into ‘exile in Babylon’, ‘Chaldea’, and never returned, were lost ‘eternally’ to ‘God’s Salvation’.   

But we do know that ‘the minority’, a ‘remnant’, came back, and in coming back fulfilled ‘the true intention of God’, and are represented as those of whom particularly ‘He’ is not ‘ashamed’.  

For the others, in ‘the Wilderness’ and in ‘Babylon’, there is a ‘certain sense’ in which ‘God’ is ‘ashamed’; for these, not so.

And thus it is in every ‘Dispensation’.  

‘The call’ continues, and it is being sounded here to ‘the people of God’ to be satisfied with no ‘second-best’.  

But, as we have said, this is not only a ‘call’ to us to attain. 

This is a ‘call’ to a people to pioneer this ‘way’ for ‘others’ - for so many of ‘the Lord’s people’ do not know 
‘the heavenly way’.

Strangely enough, although ‘born-from-above’, they do not know ‘the heavenly way’. 

We will not bring in all ‘the proofs’ of this, but it is true, and perhaps some of us have been like that for a period of our ‘Christians life’.  

It was very largely an ‘earthly thing’. 

Our activities were very ‘earthbound’, in a ‘Christian way’. 

Then there came a ‘time of crisis’, when we entered into ‘the meaning’ of an ‘open Heaven’ and were lifted on to an entirely ‘new level of Spiritual life’ and began to learn ‘heavenly things’ in a ‘new way’.  

These are facts, and all those who are ‘called of God’ into this ‘heavenly way’ are not only moving in it with regard to their own ‘Spiritual measure’, but are called to pioneer ‘the way’ for those who do not know, even of ‘the Lord’s people’.  

That does not mean to preach to them about a ‘heavenly way’, to have a ‘special interpretation of Scripture’, some ‘doctrine’ or ‘phraseology’.  

It means that they are called to be in ‘the good of it’, to be there, and by what they themselves know and experience to be able to help others up from ‘the lower levels of Spiritual life’.  

And so we are going to look again at this matter of ‘Pioneering the Heavenly Way’, centering our thoughts upon another ‘great Pioneer’ - “Moses”. 

There are, of course, many other ‘features of his life’ besides ‘pioneering’, but I think that this really goes to ‘the very center’ of ‘the significance of Moses’ - this ‘fact’ that he was ‘the Pioneer of a Heavenly way’. 

If we look at ‘the life of Moses’ from an ‘earthly standpoint’, we see very much that speaks of ‘disappointment’ and of  ‘failure’ and of ‘tragedy’: for, although, for ‘eighty years’ - eighty long, trying, testing years of discipline and suffering - he walked ‘the heavenly way’ or learned ‘the heavenly way’, neither he nor the people that he brought out of ‘Egypt’ entered into ‘the land’.  
That sounds like ‘disappointment’, and indeed ‘tragedy’.  

You know, I can never read that ‘record of Moses’ pleading with ‘God’ to let him go in, and ‘God’s full, final, conclusive refusal’, without being deeply stirred. (Deuteronomy 3:23-28)

Listen, it is a ‘very touching thing’.  

You see, of these people who were constituted a ‘nation’ by  ‘the hand of Moses’, who instrumentally owed their existence as a ‘nation’ to him, not only did that ‘first generation’ not go into ‘the land’ and ‘inherit’, but their ‘whole history’ ever since has been one of ‘tragedy’.  

Sure, there have been ‘bright spots’ and ‘periods’ in that ‘history’; there have been times of ‘glory’; but, taking their ‘history as a whole’ up to this day, remembering how much they talk about ‘Moses’, what they attribute to ‘Moses’, how they are always appealing to ‘Moses’, it has been a ‘most disappointing history’.  

I repeat: from certain standpoints, ‘the life of Moses’ bears much that speaks of ‘failure’ and ‘disappointment’ and ‘tragedy’. 

But the very fact of ‘his own life’ and ‘the nature of its termination’, the very fact of ‘the generation that perished in the wilderness’, the very fact of ‘the nation’ all through ‘the Ages’ failing and disappointing, is the one most powerful and conclusive argument for another aspect, namely ‘the Divine Truth of the Heavenly’. 

They are asserting in a most emphatic way that, if this is all down here, then it is a ‘poor thing’: that there must be some other way than this, there must be some other sequel to this, that this is not all.  

No, there is another ‘standpoint’ from which to view it - there is ‘the heavenly standpoint’, where ‘heaven’ interprets and governs everything.  

Well, let us look at ‘Moses’. 

Firstly, ‘Moses himself’ and ‘his training’.  

Secondly, ‘Israel’ under ‘his leadership’. 

(1) ‘Moses’ Training’ 

(a) Sovereign Apprehending:

We begin with ‘himself’ and ‘his training’.  

We are not beginning with ‘his birth’.  

We begin where we read of him in ‘the letter to the Hebrews’ - ‘Moses in Egypt’; and here we are once more met by something that has come up repeatedly in these ‘studies’ - that ‘in-born sense of destiny’.  

You cannot get away from it.  

When you are dealing with ‘God’s full purpose’ and when you are dealing with ‘the work’, ‘the service’, ‘the ministry’, ‘the pioneering’ in relation to that, that is always ‘the point’ at which you have to begin; and it is always there - this ‘deep-down sense’ of a ‘Divine, Sovereign Apprehending’ for ‘something’.  

Here is this ‘man’ in ‘Egypt’. 

He is surrounded by all that ‘Egypt’ has, and ‘students of history’ know that ‘the glory’ and ‘the glamour of Egypt’ were no small thing in ‘Moses’ day’.  

He was surrounded by it all.  

‘The writer’ here speaks of ‘the pleasures of Egypt’. 

Its pleasures, its amenities, its scholarship, its education: all its privileges, right up to ‘the very house of the king’ - everything was at ‘the command and disposal of Moses’.  

He was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22), and he had all the “pleasures of Egypt” at his hand.  

That was no small thing.  

Do you say that that was nothing to throw away? 

Listen, it was a mighty “all” of this ‘world’ - but this ‘sense of destiny’ made it as nothing. 

Although enjoying it all, as far as he could enjoy it, there was a ‘shadow’ over ‘his enjoyment’ all the time.  

There was something inside that withheld him from becoming finally content with it.  

There was within him a ‘sense of restless discontent’ and ‘dissatisfaction’, which really was a working in him of ‘God’s unwillingness’ to be ‘satisfied’ with anything short of ‘His full purpose’. 

‘Moses’ may not have been able to ‘explain’ or ‘define’ this ‘strange urge’, but it made him know that the “all” of ‘Egypt’ was by no means “God’s all”, and that ‘Egypt’ could never answer to this ‘call’ and ‘pull’ from above and beyond.  

Now, that is not exaggeration, and those are not just words.

That is ‘Scripture’, and that is ‘very testing’, I know.  

For such as are called into ‘the way of God’s full thought’, ‘His highest’ and ‘His best’, it will be like that.  

It does not matter what there may be of ‘popularity’, ‘worldly position’, ‘success’, ‘means and resources’ - everything to hand: if we are truly “called according to His purpose”, we shall be restless in it all, dissatisfied, and feel, “after all, is it worth it? - there is something more than this”.  

Please, test ‘your hearts’ by that.  

That is no ‘fiction’; that is ‘fact’. 

It may be that that ‘fact’ lies behind your being here and hearing these words today.  

Perhaps, you could have much in this ‘world’ if you liked to lay yourself out for it.  

Perhaps, you could have a way in this ‘world’ and its ‘pleasures’, and other things if you really went for it; but for you it is all ‘second-rate’. 

Yes, and perhaps you could get ‘acceptance’ and ‘position’ even in ‘the religious world’, but to you it has become ‘second-rate’.  

There is something in you - you may not be defining it, perhaps you could not write down what it is, but you know there is something, and unless you discover that something, arrive at that something, ‘life’ will be a disappointment, for there is a mockery in everything else.  

If that is true in your case, it is a ‘very hopeful thing’, it is a marvellous thing: ‘heaven’ has come down to lay hold of you in relation to all its meaning. 

Of course, if you have not got this ‘sense’, you will be pleased with all ‘sorts of things’ less than that, and you will be out for them.  

But, notice, if you can be like that, it is a very ‘terrible indictment’, for it means that somehow, where you are concerned, that mighty ‘Heavenly Apprehending’ has failed.

Well, so much for “Sovereign Apprehending”.  

Next Sunday we want to look at ‘the Crisis’ that precipitated  this whole thing. 

Scripture Reading: (Heb. 11:24-27,13,16)

‘God’ desires to have a people of His very best! 

‘He’ will never be ‘satisfied’ until ‘He’ has such a people. 

There may be those who will accept ‘His second-best’, but they cannot truly satisfy ‘the Heart of God’.  

And so ‘the call’ continuous and is being sounded here to ‘the people of God’ to be satisfied with no ‘second-best’, 
but to pioneer ‘the heavenly way’ for themselves and for 
others.  

We are dealing with ‘Moses’, ‘the great pioneer’.  

First of all, ‘Moses himself’ and ‘his training’.  

And then we want to consider ‘Israel’ under ‘his leadership’.  

Last Sunday we brought into view “the Sovereign Apprehending of Moses” 

‘God in His Sovereignty’ laid hold of ‘Moses’ and there was within him a ‘sense of restless discontent and dissatisfaction’, which really was a working in him of ‘God’s unwillingness’ to be ‘satisfied’ with anything short of ‘His full purpose’.  

For such as are called into ‘the way of God’s full thought’, ‘His highest’ and ‘His best’, it will be like that.  

If you do not have this ‘sense’, then you will be satisfied  with all ‘sorts of things’, less than ‘God’s best’, and you will be a out for them. 

If you can be like that, it is a ‘terrible indictment’, for it means that somehow, where you are concerned, that mighty  ‘Heavenly Apprehending’ has failed.  

And here we want to pick up and continue to see what was involved in ‘the training of God’s servant Moses’. 

(b) A Crisis:

And so the thing began with ‘Moses’ inwardly, and that ‘inward thing’ led to a ‘definite crisis’, ‘the crisis of the earthly’ and ‘the heavenly’.  

‘The Lord’ has wonderful ways of producing this ‘crisis’.  

You know it is not always produced and precipitated by some ‘ecstasy’ - if that is what you are after - ‘the glory of a great light and vision’, ‘the enrapturing of your soul’,  ‘some tremendously wonderful heavenly experience’.  

It does not always happen like that.  

It certainly did not happen like that with ‘Moses’, nor with others.  

How did it happen? 

He went out one day and saw an ‘Egyptian’ persecuting a ‘Hebrew’, and this ‘sense of destiny’ took possession of him and overmastered him, and so, being evidently of ‘powerful physique’, he laid into ‘the Egyptian’ and slew him right there and then. 

That was ‘the crisis’ that precipitated this whole thing.

Notice: sometimes we only wake up to ‘the heavenly’ or are brought face to face with ‘the heavenly’ by some ‘ghastly misdemeanor’ or ‘failure’; for, almost immediately after this, ‘things’ were made untenable (i.e., incapable of being defended) for ‘Moses’ in that ‘realm in Egypt’, and he had to quit. 

But what was inside ‘the crisis’, what was ‘the meaning’ of it, why did ‘God’ allow it? 

‘Moses’ might have said, “Why did the Lord allow me to do that”? 

Why did ‘the Lord’, who had foreknown me and had in ‘His own forknowledge’ called me to ‘His great service’, let me make a ‘mess of things’ like that? 

Why did ‘He’ let me become involved by my own act in a thing like ‘murder’, to have ‘the stain of murder’ on my hands? - I am called to be ‘the emancipator of God’s people’! 

Why has ‘the Lord’ allowed it? 

And ‘the answer’ would have been: “that is not the way in which ‘heaven’ does things, ‘Moses’ ”.  

That is the way ‘the world’ does things; it is the way ‘the flesh’ does things. 

You, ‘Moses’, can never bring out a ‘heavenly people’ into a  a ‘heavenly place’ by earthly ‘methods and means’. 

Learn that once and for all.  

It may seem a terrible way of dealing with ‘the situation’, but there it is, clear and plain.  

This people, that you are chosen in ‘the foreknowledge of God’, and by ‘the sovereign act of God’, and by this ‘sense of destiny’ in yourself to lead out: this people, chosen to be a ‘heavenly people’ - how can you get them on to a ‘heavenly level of life’, if that is your ‘level of life’?  
 
We will come back to that again. 

‘Heaven’ breaks in and says with terrible emphasis, “No, ‘Moses’; - ‘carnal weapons’ for ‘carnal ends’, but not ‘carnal weapons’ for ‘spiritual ends’; ‘earthly ways’ for ‘earthly ends’, but not ‘earthly ways’ for ‘heavenly ends’.-  

‘Heaven’ is governing here and must register itself like this.”  

What a lesson for life! - What a foundation! 

Now, you may never have been a murderer, but I have no doubt but tat some of you at least have learned very ‘deep lessons’ of this kind: that you just cannot go on with ‘God’ on that ‘level’, you cannot get through with ‘God’ along that 
line, you cannot serve ‘God’ in ‘His heavenly purpose’ in such ways, and in ‘the strength of the flesh’.  

It is so true to ‘principle’.   

‘Heaven’ will have none of them; it demands its ‘own life’, its ‘own nature’.  

That was ‘the crisis’ of ‘the heavenly’ and ‘the earthly’ in ‘the training of Moses’.

(c) Forty Years in the Wilderness:

And ‘the next phase’ - to ‘the wilderness’’, to ‘the backside of the desert’, for ‘the next forty years’. 

Oh, surely this has no place in ‘the economy of God’! 

Yes, ‘wildernesses’ always represent and signify ‘one thing’ wherever you find them.  

They signify a ‘self-emptying’. 

Think about that.

You cannot be a ‘very important person’ in a ‘wilderness’.

You cannot be a ‘very self-sufficient person’ in a ‘wilderness’. 

You cannot be a ‘self-confident person’ in a ‘wilderness’.  

‘A wilderness’ empties all that out.

You are not only in ‘the wilderness’: ‘the wilderness’ gets into you, barren, desolate, unprofitable, useless. 

And do you not think that that got into ‘Moses’ in ‘forty years’? 

What is happening? 

It is ‘the negative side’ of ‘training’.  

It is ‘the cancellation’ of ‘Egypt’ and of ‘the world’.  

‘Egypt’ stood for ‘self-sufficiency’, ‘Egypt’ was always ‘the synonym’ for ‘independence’ - and ‘Egypt’ had to be emptied out of ‘Moses’; he had to be emptied of ‘the spirit’ and ‘principle’ of ‘the world’.

It had got inside, and now it was being put out, and just ‘the contrary to Egypt’ was coming in.  

This ‘negative side’, as we have called it, is an ‘integral part’ of ‘the school of the heavenly way’.  

It brings us ‘inwardly’ and ‘spiritually’ to the place where we see clearly that there is no ‘profit’ whatever in us; where of ourselves we can ‘produce’ and ‘accomplished’ nothing. 

That is ‘the wilderness’.  

Do not misunderstand or fail to recognize that.  

It is true to ‘life’, true to ‘experience’, and true to ‘heavenly  principle’.  

Room has to be made for ‘heaven’ in us by ‘nature’. 

(d) The Ordeal of Emancipation:

Then ‘the next thing’ after that - ‘Moses’ is brought back to ‘Egypt’ for ‘the ordeal of emancipation’.  

Now it is ‘the Lord’, not ‘Moses’.  

It is going to be all ‘the Lord’ now, or nothing at all.  

But it is going to be ‘the Lord’!   

“Now shall you see what I will do”. (Ex.6:1)

There was a day when ‘Moses’ said, ‘now you shall see what I will do’, and ‘the Egyptian’ felt the weight of that, and the next day ‘the Hebrew’. (Ex.2:11-14) 

But that has gone now, and ‘the Lord’ says, “Now shall you see what I will do”. 

‘I will do, now that you have stopped’.  

‘The position’ is altered; everything now becomes possible!

There has been a ‘transition’ from ‘the negative’ to ‘the positive’.

Notice: ‘the great ordeal of emancipation’ of ‘the people of God’ begins. 

The ‘first stage’ relates to ‘the Rod’ and ‘the Hand’.  

Exodus 4 - “What is that in your hand” - “a Rod”.  

Very well; by that “Rod” things are going to be done. 

“Put now your hand into your bosom”.  

‘Take it out’ - white and leprous. 

“Put your hand into your bosom again”.  

‘Take it out’ - clean and whole.

We shall stop here for tonight and resume ‘our present meditation’ next Sunday, Lord willing!

Please, read ‘Exodus 4’ in preparation for ‘our continuance’.  

‘The last two Sundays’ we have been focusing in on ‘Moses’,- one of ‘the pioneers of the heavenly way’ of ‘the Old Testament times’. 

We are currently involved with ‘his training’, and saw ‘first of all’, ‘the sovereign apprehending of Moses’; - ‘secondly’, we found that it began with an ‘inward crisis’ - ‘the crisis’ of ‘the earthly’ and ‘the heavenly’. 

In ‘the third place’, we considered ‘the forty years in the wilderness’.

And then, it led us to ‘the ordeal of emancipation’, which begins with, and brings us to ‘the Rod’ and ‘the Hand’.

I introduced this last Sunday in closing, and we shall take it up at this time, as we continue.  

I do trust that you have taken the opportunity to read  Exodus, chapter 4, in preparation for tonight. 

The Rod 

‘First of all’, what is ‘the Rod’? 

You know that ‘the rod’ that ‘Moses’ used was later ‘Aaron’s  rod’, ‘the rod’ that budded when ‘the test of Priesthood’ was made. (Num.17)

In the morning there were ‘eleven dead rods’ and ‘one living’ - ‘the insignia’ of a ‘living Priesthood’.  

And do not forget: ‘Priesthood’ has to do with ‘the spiritual’.  

They are going to have to deal with all ‘the gods of the Egyptians’.  

They are ‘unclean’, they are ‘corrupt’, they are ‘evil’, they are of ‘the devils company’.  

It needs ‘the mighty power’ of a ‘Holy Priesthood’ to deal with that ‘unclean situation’.  

It is ‘the Rod’ of ‘the Word of the Cross’.  

And ‘the Word of the Cross’ is a ‘mighty Rod’.  

What is ‘the issue’ here - that ‘issue’ that is bound up with this ‘whole ordeal’? 

This is ‘it’.

‘The Lord’ had said, “The Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah.” (Ex.7:5) 

That is ‘the issue’.  

Very well then; begin to apply that in ‘practical ways’ by 
‘the Word of the Cross’, ‘the Word of a Living Priesthood’.

Apply it first to ‘the whole realm of nature’, of ‘creation’.  

“I, the Lord, have created”. (Isa.44:8) 

‘The Lord of Calvary’ is ‘the Lord of Creation’, and the first application of ‘the Word of the Cross’ is in that ‘realm in Egypt’.  

At the touch of ‘the Lord of Creation’ ‘the world of living things’ is brought under ‘judgment’; ‘the issue’ - “I am the Lord.”

‘The second application’ is to ‘the heavens’ - for ‘the Lord’ made ‘the heavens’ as well as ‘the earth’ - and ‘the elements’, under ‘the Word’, are touched. 

If you look on to ‘Calvary’, you will see all these ‘features’.  

When ‘He’, ‘the great Pioneer of the Heavenly Way’, went to ‘the Cross’, ‘the whole Creation’ was affected.  

‘Heaven’ and ‘earth’ were involved.  

There was a ‘great earthquake’, and there was “Darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” (Matt.27:45) 

‘Creation’ and ‘the very elements’ were coming under ‘the impact’ of ‘Him’ Who is ‘the Word’ in ‘the Cross’.  

That happened in ‘Egypt’, in ‘type’.  

Then, thirdly, there came the application to ‘hell’.  

Let me ask, what is ‘hell’s greatest weapon’? 

Death, “the last enemy”. (1.Cor.15:26) 

Death, is no ‘friend’, Death is ‘the last enemy’, and that was ‘the last judgment of Egypt’. 

‘Hell’s stronghold’ was broken into; ‘the power of death’ was taken hold of for ‘the emancipation of a people’.  

That is what ‘Christ’ did in ‘the Cross’.  

‘The Word of the Cross’ is this: that ‘hell’ has been broken into and ‘death’ has been apprehended and made to serve ‘the ends of God’ rather than frustrate them.  

In ‘Egypt’ ‘the Word’ by ‘the Rod’ touched ‘the firstborn’ with ‘death’, and ‘hell’ was stung with its ‘own sting’ to ‘the very core of its being’.  

But that is not all.  

That ‘self-same Rod’ which led ‘the people’ out, worked ‘Redemption’ from ‘Egypt’ and through ‘the Red Sea’.  

“Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea”. (Ex.14:16) 

‘The Word of the Cross’ is ‘the Word of Life’ triumphant over ‘death’.

‘Death’ is vanquished and ‘Life’ and ‘Incorruption’ are brought to ‘Light’.  

By means of ‘the Rod’ of ‘the Word of the Cross’, through this wonderful ‘ordeal of emancipation’; ‘Moses’ is learning one thing - that ‘Heaven rules’: ‘heaven’ rules in this ‘creation’, ‘heaven’ rules in ‘heaven’, ‘heaven’ rules in ‘hell’; and in ‘the kingdoms of men’ ‘heaven’ rules for ‘the emancipation’ of ‘the elect’.
 
All this is ‘the story’ of ‘the Intervention of Heaven’.  

Do you wonder why this was graduated as it was? 

You see, it did not happen all at once.  

‘The effect of the Rod’ was only ‘partial’ to begin with, but gained in ‘strength’ and ‘power’ as it went along.  

There are ‘two sides’ to this.

On the one hand, there is ‘the progressive nature’ of this ‘education’: it is ‘gradual’.  

We do not come all at once to ‘see’ and to ‘know’ ‘the full power of heaven’.  

We learn it a little at a time.  

It is ‘graduated’.  

It goes so far at one time; it will go farther later on.  

Let me ask you, are we not learning that? 

We learn it in ‘simple ways’ - how ‘heaven’ is greater than ‘earth’, than ‘man’, than ‘nature’, than ‘the enemy’.  

We are learning, step by step, more and more of the meaning of that ‘tremendous’, ‘infinite ascendency of heaven’.  

But there is ‘the other side’.  

‘God’, by ‘gradual means’, is drawing out ‘the opposing 
forces’, gradually extending them. 

“I will harden Pharao’s heart”. - “I will harden Pharao’s heart”. - “I will harden Pharao’s heart”.

“Pharao shall harden his heart”.

‘God’ could have wiped ‘Pharao’ out in ‘one stroke’, but ‘He’ is going to extend him to ‘his utmost limit’. 

Listen, ‘the power of this world’ is going to be drawn out to its ‘fullest extent’ to meet ‘the infinite power of heaven’, and then ‘heaven’s superiority’ will be a very simple thing, after  all. 

Notice: although we cannot ‘grasp it’ or ‘see it’ or ‘calculate it’, ‘the Truth’ is that “the power that works in us” is “the exceeding greatness of His power”. (Eph.3:20; 1:19) 

We do not ‘know’, we are not able to ‘measure’, ‘the immensity of the forces’ that are against a ‘soul’ being ‘saved’, ‘the immensity of the forces’ that are set against ‘God’s full purpose’ for ‘His people’. 

We know a little, and we shall know more and more as we go on; but when it says “the exceeding greatness of His power”, that is not just ‘language’: that is an attempt - only an attempt - by ‘means of language’, by ‘superlatives’, by all that ‘human language’ can do - to arrive at ‘the reality’.  

“The exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead”. (Eph.1:19,20) 

And that is to us-ward.  

Notice: there is something ‘tremendous’ here.  

It is ‘heaven’s superiority’ over this ‘whole situation’ to bring a ‘people’ out and to bring a ‘people’ through.  

And listen, we are in that ‘school’.  

He, ‘Moses’, was put through that ‘ordeal’ in order that he might progressively, but quite steadily and definitely, recognize that all that is here in ‘Egypt’, all that ‘Pharao’ represents, is going to be drained to ‘the last drop of its vitality’ and be ‘laid in death’ at last - all of it.

‘Moses’ was sometimes apprehensive, perplexed.

Sometimes he came back from ‘the challenge’ disappointed. 

He felt, ‘we have not gotten there yet, something more is needed yet’.  

Alright, says ‘the Lord’, ‘we will have something more’.

‘The Lord’ was leading him on in ‘his education’; he was coming progressively to see more and more. 

Do you think that, if ‘God’ would do everything all at once, in one act, we should miss something, we should take it all for granted, it would not mean so much to us, it would be just a ‘miracle of the past’? 

And yet throughout ‘our life time’ ‘God’ is extending ‘the forces’ against us in order to prove that ‘His forces’ are ‘superior’.  

It is a ‘long schooling’, but that is ‘the way of the heavenly purpose’.

Well, so much for ‘the Rod’. -

We shall stop here for tonight and continue next Sunday when we shall consider ‘the Hand’, before concluding ‘Moses’ training’. 

We are still having to do with ‘the training of Moses’.

Our present aspect, you will recall, involves ‘the ordeal of emancipation’, which begins with, and brings us to ‘the Rod’ and ‘the Hand’. (Ex.14)

Last Sunday we spent all our time with ‘the Rod’, and now as we continue, we shall look at ‘the Hand’.

The Hand

From ‘the Rod’ to ‘the Hand’. - “Put now your hand into your bosom” - what ‘Hand’? 

That ‘hand’ that had murdered ‘the Egyptian’, that ‘hand’ stained with ‘blood’, that ‘hand’ of ‘natural srength’, that ‘hand’ of ‘self-sufficiency’, that ‘hand’ which represented ‘the old Moses’ and ‘his failure’, failure under ‘the energy’ and ‘drive’ of ‘his own will’.  

“Put that ‘hand’ in”. - 

What is in your bosom, ‘Moses’? 

That is what is ‘yours’. 

Do you think that can wield ‘the Rod of God’? 

Do you think that can bring in ‘the heavenly Authority’?  

Oh no, that ‘hand’ has to be cleansed before you can wield that ‘Rod’.  
			
That ‘bosom’ must be cleansed, that ‘stain’ must be removed, all that ‘self-energy’ and ‘self-sufficiency’ has to be undercut.  

‘Moses’, that leprous hand is what you are like in yourself! 

Are we not discovering that?  

What is my heart like? - What are we like? - Just like that! 

The more we ‘know’ and ‘see ourselves’, the more it is like ‘leprosy’.  

But, ‘thank God’, there is a ‘cleansing’.  

For ‘Moses’ there was a ‘Divine act of cleansing’.  

In that ‘instant’, all ‘the meaning of the Cross’, ‘the Word of the Cross’, took effect in ‘Moses’ life’ - of course in ‘type’  in ‘figure’.  

And now that there is a ‘hand’ cleansed, that is, a ‘heart  circumcised’, ‘the inner life’ separated from ‘the fleshly strength’ and ‘sufficiency’, all that can take ‘the Word of the Cross’, ‘the Word of Authority’.

Oh, it must be like that.  

We have no ‘power’ in ‘the realm’ of ‘the god’s of the Egyptians’, those ‘spiritual forces’ that are actuating this ‘world’, no ‘authority’ at all in that ‘court’, no hope of overpowering that ‘strength’, unless something has happened for ‘the deliverance of ourselves’ from ‘our own strength’, ‘our own sufficiency’, ‘our own hearts’.

2.) Israel under the Leadersip of Moses  

Then there is that ‘phrase’, so large that I hardly dare touch on it at the moment - ‘Israel under the leadership of Moses’.  

Oh, yes! It was ‘one long-drawn-out issue’ of ‘the heavenly’ and ‘the earthly’.  

All those ‘forty years’ of ‘the nation in the wilderness’ were just that - ‘the issue’ of ‘the heavenly’ and ‘the earthly’ being fought out.  

They had been brought out to be a ‘heavenly people’; to have all their ‘resources’, all their ‘support’ and ‘assistance’, from ‘heaven’; to be in this ‘world’ and not of it. 

If ever that is true - to be in ‘the world’ and not of it - it is true in ‘the wilderness’.  

‘The Divine thought’ was ‘the making of a large place’ for ‘heaven’.  

There was a ‘large place for heaven’ in that ‘wilderness’.  

Everything from ‘the Divine side’ was to be ‘heavenly’.  

‘The people’ were ‘constituted’ on ‘heavenly principles’. 

‘Moses’ up in ‘the mount’ was securing those ‘heavenly principles’ for ‘the constituting of the nation’.  

It was all coming from ‘Heaven’. 

Their whole ‘relationship to God’ in ‘the wilderness’ as centered in ‘the tabernacle’, came out of ‘Heaven’: it was ‘the pattern’ shown in ‘the mount’.  

It was ‘heavenly’; - nothing was left to ‘man’ and ‘his judgment’ at all. 

Their going from day to day was out from ‘Heaven’- by means of ‘the pillar of cloud and fire’.  

It was all ‘heavenly’.  

What ‘warfare’ there was, was ‘heavenly’: ‘Moses’ on ‘the top of the hill’, with ‘hands uplifted’, ‘the battle going on in the valley’.  

‘Heaven’ is directing this ‘warfare’: this ‘heavenly warfare’.  

It was all learning ‘the meaning’ of ‘the heavenly way’, in ‘every aspect’.

But they failed to learn those ‘lessons’.  

They would come down to ‘earth’, they would reject ‘the heavenly’.  

It was too hard, it was too difficult for ‘the flesh’, it was too uncertain.  

It was such ‘dependence’, it was such a ‘helplessness’ so far as ‘self’ was concerned.  

And we do want to ‘help ourselves’ in this ‘business’. 

It was all so ‘heavenly’.  

But it was most ‘real’.  

Those who know anything about it know that ‘heavenly things’ are ‘the most real’, that ‘spiritual things’ are far more ‘real’ than ‘other things’.  

But they would not have ‘the heavenly way’, they would have ‘the earthly’; and they repudiated it all and ‘perished’, on ‘the earth’, in ‘the wilderness’. 

Notice: ‘Joshua’ and ‘Caleb’ took up all those ‘lessons’ of ‘the schooling of Moses’ and ‘Israel’, in themselves.  

They learned ‘the lessons’, they apprehended ‘the heavenly Truth’, and they took ‘the next generation’ over - 
a ‘heavenly generation’.  

Well, all that may be regarded as ‘history’, as what is in ‘the Bible’: but I am sure that some of you are reading ‘your own history’. 

I ask you, is that not ‘true in principle’ to what we are going through, to what ‘God’ is doing with us - defeating us,  bewildering us, bringing us to an end, to an emptiness and helplessness? - and yet, by some ‘mighty power’ that we do not ‘feel’, of which we are not ‘conscious’, we are going on; we being drawn out and drawn up.  

It is ‘the story’ of so many ‘survivals’, when it would seem that all has ‘gone’: that we are ‘lost’, we have ‘failed’, broken down, disappointed ‘the Lord’; there can be no ‘future’.  

But there is a ‘future’.  

We have ‘continued’.  

There is something beyond that is all the time holding us up, and it may be that today ‘our hearts’ are more set upon  what is of ‘God’ than ever they were.  

And why is that? 

Not because we have been more ‘successful’, not because we have been less full of ‘failure’ and ‘weakness’.  

No; rather because we have learned ‘the lesson’ of ‘our own weakness’.  

We know today, better than ever we knew it, that “in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing”. (Rom.7:18) - and yet today ‘the Lord’ has a stronger hold upon us than ever. 

What is this? 

This is a ‘mystery’.  

Oh, ‘thank God’, it is true! 

‘Thank God’ for ‘His Sovereign Grace’! 

These are ‘the evidences’ that ‘He’ has called us with a  ‘great calling’ and that ‘He’ will not be ‘satisfied’ until ‘He’ has brought us right through to ‘His own full end’.  

May we follow on, whatever ‘the cost’. 

(Please, read ‘Joshua 3; 4:1-9’)