USING WHAT WE HAVE!

 

“USING WHAT WE HAVE”  - Exod. 4:1-5

“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

² And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

³ And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

⁴ And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

⁵ That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.”

1. Moses had a rod     (Exod. 4:1-5)

God asks what Moses has in his hand, and Moses answers "a staff" ("a rod" in the KJV version). The staff is miraculously transformed into a snake and then back into a staff. The staff is thereafter referred to as the "rod of God" or "staff of God" (Exod. 4:20)

What the Rod represents?  What a lesson we can learn from the rod?

1. The rod of Moses represented his whole life. It symbolized his ambition, vocation, wisdom, skills, status, strength or might. His rod was his identity, his instrument, his weapon or defence in the desert.

•      When Moses cast in down in obedience God uses the rod supernaturally. It takes such a willingness, disposition or mind-set to be greatly used of God!

Application: Like Moses, having surrendered your life to Christ, it ceases to be yours and you must treat it as such.

•      The Scripture testifies to this truth.

•      1 Corinthians 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NKJV).

•      Romans 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (NKJV).

2. Secondly the rod is a rod of the supernatural God Moses represent.

After his supernatural encounter with God, Moses returned to Egypt with a strong conviction that what he was holding in his hand was no longer his former ordinary shepherd rod, but a holy, divine or supernatural rod.

•      Exodus 4:20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. (NKJV).

•      With the rod of God in his hand, Moses wrought great exploits, signs and wonders in Egypt that confounded and humiliated Pharaoh and all the sorcerers, magicians and wise men in Egypt, and brought out the children of Israel from Egypt, thereby fulfilling his divine purpose in life.

3. Thirdly the rod is a rod of Spiritual Authority

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” – Psalms 23:4-5

•      The staff, in the spiritual, represents authority. When we have a revelation of God’s authority, not just over the flock but also over the enemy, it comforts us.

•      Moses threw down the gift of authority that God placed in his hands spiritually when He anointed him to speak the authoritative words of God to Pharaoh.

Application: Our mouth release life.  -  Proverbs 18:21 KJV

•      Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

B. Think of the ways that God used that rod (Exod. 7:15-21; cf. Aaron’s rod [Exod. 8:5-6, 17; 9:22-23; 10:12-14; 14:13-16).

1. The water turned into blood by using the rod. Exod. 7:15-21

2. Moses (Exo.8:5,6) stretch out his hand with the rod over the streams and rivers and ponds and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

3. Exod. 9:22-23 – Moses stretch his hand toward heaven and there hail in the land of Egypt. The Lord rain hail on the land.

4. Locust came upon the land in Exod. 10:12-14

5. Moses lifted up the rod and divided the red sea. Exod. 14:13-16

6. Aaron’s rod represents – Num. 17:8  Aaron’s rod sprouted.

“Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.”

Symbolic of Aaron's Rod

•      Aaron has the Life of God's Presence!

•      Aaron has the Fruitfulness!

•      Aaron yielded “ripe almonds” symbolic of Christ Resurrection..!

•      Almond signifies divine favour and approval, and the purity of life.

Application: When God touches our life we will never be the same again. His Presence is with us wherever we go and we will be fruitful and blessings will flow with divine favour and approval from God. Let us praise and glorify Him.

PRAYER

“Lord, help me to accomplish your purposes for my life in my generation. All of us only get one life, one chance, one set of time.  We have a high calling, and God you have a purpose for us to serve in our own generation just like David.

May we make use of our life, time, abilities, talents and the Gospel of the Word to reach out to people around us. Thank you for giving us power and spiritual authority to use it for your glory. 

In Jesus Name, we pray, Amen.

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.