From The Rector What Is In Your Hand?
Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha- Otor Delta State. www. ibrucentre. org Exodus 4: 2: “So the Lord said to him, ‘ what is that in your hand?”’ He said: “A rod.”
Pray With Me
LORD, Ithank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the work of redemption wrought through His finished work on the Cross of Calvary; thank you for making us to pass through the endurance of lent and to see the victories that Easter brought. As we surrender our hearts to you and wait at your feet, renew us, redesign us, rebuke us where necessary, and sculpture us into the image of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, Amen.
Introduction
In every generation, God desires the human instrument as a channel to show forth his greatness and might. God has never joked with the use of human vessel as a means to make His power known.
• When a nation is in crises.
• When a people are enslaved.
• When a family is in trouble.
• When an individual cries.
God raises men to step up and step in with a solution. Every man raised by God either in the sacred or secular life is raised to solve a problem. As leaders and the led, be it clergy or lay, great or small; we are positioned at different levels as solutions to problems of life and the problems in life.
If people either as individuals or groups fail in understanding this fact, it will result in poor maximisation of their potentials, abilities and callings. In life, it is either you are solving life problems or you are protracting and contributing to its complexity.
Jesus knew who He was, understood his mission to earth and also knew what it will take to fulfill it, hence, we gather at Easter to celebrate His victory over sin and Satan.
The topic we are discussing is very important considering the time we are in. A proper examination of this time will show us that it is a time characterised by ecclesiastical fancyand religious merchandise, resulting to dilapidated morality and spiritual bankruptcy even in the face of moral decay cum political confusion and uncertainties.
Permit me to quote C. H. Spurgeon:“Least you should feel pleased with the fact that you desire this high honour and fancy that the mere aspiration will fulfill itself, let me remind you how the saviour lived. He never settled down in desires and resolves, but girded Himself for constant service. He said, ‘ my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.”’ To do Lord’s work must be as necessary andas food to us.
The discussion that gave rise to the topic began in Exodus Chapter 3 with Moses in active duty. The Israelites like the
church of today, has lost their freedom, and have become slaves. They were serving under hard bondage in Egypt. They could be seen as having lost God’s glory;‘ Icabod’ has been born. Tears have become their breakfast and dinner. The situation was bad for them, but more painful was the fact that the channel for their deliverance has gone into exile and had long chosen another assignment and taken up a comfortable and lucrative business of ‘ sheep caring.’ He has married and settled in Uncle Jethro’s house, possibly managing Uncle Jethro’sestate and farm, while his people languished in painful bondage.
Today, like the Israel of old, the church is in great ridicule; men now take God’s name in vain and idol worshippers make mockery of the faith they once dreaded. People have become careless and carefree of God’s name and heritage. Unfortunately, and very painful too, those raised by God to solve the problem have become very care free andsettled in Jethro’s house, while some are in government house, and others in King Uzziah’s chamber — what a shock? I pray that God through this channel of grace will awaken the sleeping giant in us.
When the Lord came to discuss the matter with Moses, who at this time was living comfortably in Uncle Jethro’s estate, Moses had thousand and one excuses. He said: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh; the people will not believe me. Who will I tell them, sent me? Supposedly, they will not listen or hear me. O God, I am not eloquent.”
Moses’eyes were blinded; he never knew what he was carrying; neither did he acknowledge the will of God to fulfill destiny and bring prophecy to pass through him. I think that like Isaiah during the days of King Uzziah, he could not see his true self, or realise the hidden power within him. Can I say to you that you are not an ordinary person?
In the book revival of the Christian Religion, I came across this: “Records tell that years ago, a minister put a sign like this outside of his church: ‘ this church will have either a revival or a funeral,” Pg. 53. Sincerely, when God raises a man he must solve problems or contribute to the complexity of the problem. As a person, either as a leader or the led, youare solving problems or are you creating one.
God asked Moses: “What is in your hand?” To Moses, it was a mere shepherd’s rod! Nothing out of the ordinary; the sacraments of the church, the raising of leaders is not just a ceremony; the gathering together of God’s people is not just an ordinary meeting; the Easter we celebrate among other holy days of the church is not just ordinary ceremonies neither any of the churches’ meetings; to some, they are just priests ( clergy men), a minister, a lay reader, just an evangelist, just a husband or just a wife, mother or father; others feel theyare just leaders of the people. To them; ‘ there is nothing supernatural about what God have placed in their hands. They are just someone occupying a position, but contrary to this feeling, which can only breed limitation; God is saying what you have and who you are is not just a mere thing. It is not just a rod; Yes! Not just a rod, it is more than a rod; it is more than the ordinary.
Hear me! What you have: position, platform, possession, personality in form of gifts, talents, opportunities, has a spiritual side to it; it carries:
• Supernatural content.
• Administrative content.
• A sacred content.
• A positive content.
• Don’t abuse it.
There is the divine side to your position and person. There is spiritual side to who you are. That which you are failing to nurture and breed has a spiritual and supernatural side to it. Release yourself to the Holy Ghost; stop being too familiar with Godor to spiritual things and never you think less of yourself.
The Lord said to Moses: “Drop the rod on the ground.” In the other way, it means surrender it, plant it orrelease it. The moment Moses obeyed and dropped it; it became a serpent.
Hmmm! Yes! A serpent! Why A Serpent?
Remember that the account of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden has it that God placed enormity between the man, his descendant and the serpent. God could have turned the rod to something else other than serpent. Theologically speaking, I think God was through this method teaching us that every spiritual cum sacred position we occupy is not all friendly to us or to those around us. Your position could be deadly both to others and to yourself. No wonder the Lord said to Moses: “Hold it by the tail.” No man can claim to have known everything about God; we cannot be too familiar with God, which is because ‘ He Is God.’
Beloved in God, are you thinking that because you are highly placed; you have known the Lord ‘ too well?’ No one can actually know the Lord ‘ too well.’
Beware! Take care and apply caution. No man can be too familiar with God; our ways are not His ways neither our thoughts His thoughts. The God that is all known is no God. The book of Deuteronomy 29: 29 points to the fact that there are secrets that is only known by God and not revealed to man.
The Rod And Its Symbol
Experience: Moses had 40 years’ experience as a shepherd in Midian ( Ex. 2: 21), which shows:
• Authority ( one in charge).