The Word Became Flesh

 

Our Bible Study lessons are following both Moses and the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  I took notes and present a digested message here.

You will remember that Moses was rescued as a baby by Pharaoh’s daughter and thus raised in the palace and given a proper education.  Because in anger he killed a man, he fled to the desert spending many years with nomads living there. 

 

While tending his flock, he noticed a burning bush.  As he went closer, a voice spoke telling him to remove his shoes for he was standing on Holy Ground.  It was the God of the Hebrews telling him to go back to Egypt and deliver the people.  Moses was frightened, but God said, “Do not be afraid, for I will go with you.”

God sent many plagues against Egypt, but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, until the Death Angel took the first born of each Egyptian household.

Now the Children of Israel were safely across the Red Sea and camped at Mount Sinai, where smoke as a furnace poured forth from the mountain.  Thunder and lightening and God’s voice frightened the people.  They pled with Moses to speak to God for them as they were too afraid to hear him for themselves.

Aren’t you thankful that today, we can boldly enter the throne room and hold a conversation with our Holy God?  Jesus made that possible.

Moses was on the mountain for 40 days while God gave him the laws and commandments to teach the people how to live a life pleasing to God.  The people became restless and worried why Moses was gone so long. 

Worship was important to the people, but they wanted a god they could see; and they chose the wrong god.  So Aaron built them a golden calf like the Egyptian’s worshipped.

God was angry and told Moses to quickly go down from the mountain as the people were rebelling against Him.  Moses was also angry and threw down the commandments breaking them.  He then destroyed the image grinding it up and throwing it into the water forcing the people drink the water.

God is a jealous god, and he will not share the worship of other gods.  Although Moses was chosen to lead the people, he was only the helper, for God was in charge. 

We have ministers in the church, but we must understand they are human and subject to failure.  It is God’s church and not ours.  Let God be God and let us follow Him.

The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us filling the void in our lives.  God put the fire of the Holy Spirit in us. 

 

Moses had the words of God in stone for stony hearts.  Holy men of God have preserved God’s word for us giving us our Bible.  Much caution and diligence was put forth to bring us as near a perfect translation as possible.  Different versions help cast light and explain more fully the scriptures.

When Moses spent time with God, and returned to the people, his face shone requiring him to wear a veil.  As we spend time praying and studying our Bible, our face will reflect Jesus when our friends look on us.

Moses was to instruct the people that as they entered the Promised Land, there would be enemies living there, that God would destroy.

Often in us there are sins (enemies) that God is willing to destroy and help us to overcome.

God also told the people not to worship the gods of the enemies but to serve Him only.

In the upper room, the Holy Spirit fell on believers and they spoke in other tongues.  Peter preached to the onlookers, telling them to believe on Jesus and they would also receive this gift.  That day 3000 believers were added to the “church.”

Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, 14 to desire spiritual gifts - - But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Jesus was the first fruit - - as he was the first to receive his resurrected body.  This began a new spiritual history and we are the harvest from Pentecost of old onto this day.  God gave the written Word  to the Jews to change the world; Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to again shift and change the world.  The process of change continues.  News of revival is sweeping our nation.

Jesus is Lord of the harvest and the field is white and ready.  God planned all this for our understanding, so that we would come to Him for Salvation.