One of the things that caught my attention in today’s reading was Moses interaction with the LORD.  He calls Him “Lord” which is our translation of Adonai.  This name of God means  "master", "owner", or "sovereign ruler" and generally signifies the authority and exalted position of God.  What hit me about this exchange between Moses and God was that Moses uses this title, Lord, while at the same time trying to get out of doing what the Lord has commanded him to do.  How often I do the exact same thing.  I acknowledge God as Lord of my life, my Master, and in the same breath try to make Him my servant.  How many times I have prayed to the “Lord” to try to get Him to do things my way.  Oh, for a heart that truly delights to do His will.  A heart that seeks Him first.  A heart that lays aside my selfish ambitions, my fears, my anxieties, to truly be a servant of the Living God.
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To God be the glory,

The story of Moses begins.  One of the first movies I ever saw in a theater as a kid, well, since Winnie the Pooh when I was even younger, was the Ten Commandments.  I have to separate the vision of that portrayal from what God’s Word says.  Unlike the movie, there is no indication that Moses was given authority over the Israelite slaves and was oblivious to his heritage.  Rather we are told “he went out to his people and looked on their burdens”. 
Be that as it may, this is really a story about God.  In these opening chapters we can conclude that God sees His people, He hears His people when they cry out to Him, He is compassionate, He gives good gifts to those who fear Him (the midwives that he blesses with families of their own), He is a God who acts in history, ​He does amazing things with fire, He will deliver his people with a mighty hand. A mighty hand that we shall see in the next few chapters is greater than Pharaoh and all the gods of Egypt.  We even learn His name-I AM WHO I AM.  He just is, He is LORD (YHWH.)  Amongst the gods of Egypt His name will stand alone.

To God be the glory,

We come to the part of the story of Joseph which we love.  The part where he tells them what they meant for evil God meant for good.  His brothers came to him in fear, they expected him to exact his revenge now that their father had died. 

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:  ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.  His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”  But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.  So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.  -Genesis 50:15-21
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This morning what strikes me about this conversation is the initial part of Joseph’s response, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?”  I cannot help but think about the times I have been wounded by others and this is not my response at all.  Rather, I consider how I might punish them for their misdeeds when I should consider how I might extend grace to them.  Love your enemies, isn’t that what we are told to do?

​To God be the glory,