22. A LOYALTY WE CAN TRUSTHave you ever thought that maybe God is waiting for you to do something before He can do something?
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If you were headed on a long trip and needed to leave the keys to your house with someone, whom would you trust? What if you got into a situation in which you needed to give your ATM card and password to someone, to send cash to you? Probably only a handful of names come to your mind. But how did you come up with those names? Likely, you have spent a lot of time with those people. You really trust their character and know that given any circumstance, or any situation, they would always, always do what is best for you. In this lesson, we will learn something amazing about God – He is more faithful than we could ever imagine. In a dangerous world, it is a fact worth remembering!
In Erzincan in 1993, a father took his young son, Umut, to pre- school. Umut’s father told him he would come back to take him safely home. On his way back to his house there was a terrible earthquake. Umut’s father’s heart was filled with fear as he rushed to where the school had stood only an hour before. Everything was totally demolished. He remembered the approximate location of Umut’s classroom and ran to that spot. There was no sign of life, but driven by his love for his son he began to dig. Other parents were in the area crying out in shrieks,
“They’re all dead, they’re all dead! Our sons and our daughters are dead.”
But Umut’s father digging with his bare hands called out to them,
“Come and help me. I told my son Umut that I would always be there for him!”
In spite of the immense amount of rubble, he continued to dig. It wasn't long before the firemen came. The school site was a very dangerous spot because gas mains were exploding nearby. They told Umut’s father that he must leave. But he kept on digging. From a distance, people were watching him. Some thought he was crazy while others could only watch in sorrow. They whispered with remorse,
“He needs to stop. It is foolish to continue digging. They are all dead.”
But Umut's father was only focused on digging,
“Don't just stand there! Come and help me! I promised my son Umut that I’d always be there for him! I promised that he would be safe!”
He continued to dig with bloodied hands and eventually made a large cavity in the debris. Still more hours passed; 12 hours; 15 hours; 24 hours. The police came and wanted to take him away. But he said,
“I must dig. My son Umut is here. I told him I would come back for him. Please help me dig!”
Unwilling to make him leave and knowing they needed the help, they allowed him to stay. But behind his back they pitied the grieving man.
“He has gone crazy,” they said to themselves.
Twenty-eight hours, then thirty hours, and Umut’s father continued to dig. After thirty-two hours while digging in a large hole, he pulled a stone aside and found a small cavity under it. He cried out,
“Umut, Umut, Umut!”
Just then he heard a tiny voice,
“Daddy, daddy!”
Umut and several of his little schoolmates had been trapped in this little cavity and they were still alive. Umut threw his arms around his daddy’s neck and said,
“Daddy, I knew you would come for me. You promised to come back for me. I told my friends you’d always be there for me.”
Umut knew something about his father. He knew his father had given him a promise, and that his Dad always kept his promises. It was this fact that kept Umut's faith alive. His faith matched his Dad’s character.
In this lesson we will learn of someone else who was “buried” and in need of help. That someone was God’s covenant people. The children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one’s who were the holders of the Covenant Promise found themselves “buried” in bondage to the Egyptians. They were slaves surrounded by hardship and with no way to escape. The scars on their backs were the only reward for their hard work. Let's start reading the story in Exodus chapter 2 verses 23-25:
23 And it came to pass after many days that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God gave attention to the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
God had made a promise, and like Umut’s father he was going to keep it.
You remember from the previous lesson that Moses was forced to live in the wilderness because he had killed a man and ed from Egypt. Well while he was in the wilderness, he met a wise man, married one of his daughters, and had two sons. After forty years of tending sheep, Moses was 80 years old and probably thought to himself,
“I have lived a long life. I have a wife, two sons, and look forward to finishing my days here in the desert with these sheep and my children."
But what we want to do isn't always what God wants to do! Let's see what happened next by reading chapter 3 verses 2-4:
2 And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him {MOSES} in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with re, but the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses thought, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned up. 4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! And he said, Here am I.
Obviously God, being God, knows all of our names. But the fact that he comes and visits any human is a special moment. God knew Moses’ name. Did you know that He knows your name as well? Though not every one of us has seen an angel or a burning bush, God speaks to all of us. For some it happens while quietly lying in bed and for others in the wild chaos of a family tragedy. Regardless of the situation, time, or location, God calls out because He has a message for each one of us. Did you notice that God didn’t call his name until Moses turned aside to look? Let's read verse four again:
4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! And he said, Here am I.
So too God waits for us to pay attention to Him. Have you ever thought that maybe God is waiting for you to do something before He can do something? Let's continue with verses 5-8:
5 And {GOD} He said, Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 Moreover He said, I am the God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And Jehovah said: I have given attention to see the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I have acknowledged their pain. 8 And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and broad land, to a land owing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
God not only remembered his promise to Abraham and heard the Israelite's groaning, He intended to x their problem! The real hero isn’t the one who sees a problem; it’s the one who solves a problem! Politicians of every country and every party talk about solving the problems of health care, education, roads, and unemployment. How many times have we heard promises that were never kept? Yes, talk is easy! But to solve a problem – that is where real leadership proves itself. And the Bible tells us that God wanted to solve the problem.
In essence, God said,
“I have seen the misery of my people. I am concerned about their suffering and I have come down to rescue them!”
God wanted to rescue them because it is in His character to rescue. In the 1800’s the American southern states kept slaves. Occasionally, slaves would escape and try to make their way to the northern states. One strong black woman, Harriot Tubman, was nicknamed “Moses” because she single handedly helped over 130 slaves find their way north. In one true incident, a black man was about to be hung for the crime of attempting to escape. Suddenly, bursting through the crowd Harriot Tubman raced to the slave, wrapped her strong arms around the man, and started dragging him to the nearby river. Guards were beating her, but she was strong and prevailed. She broke free from the crowd, threw the man over her shoulders and ran with him a hundred meters. She put herself and the man in a boat and rowed away. Can you imagine what the man thought! One minute he was standing at the gallows preparing to die and the next minute he was in a boat rowing towards freedom. Was he ever glad to have a surprise “Rescuer.” So why do you think Harriet Tubman was able to help all those slaves? It was her strong character. Wouldn't you agree that God's character and concern for people is even greater?
Listen now to the Bible as God tells his plans to Moses in Exodus chapter 3 verses 10-15:
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." 13 Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Why did God call himself, “I AM”? Perhaps it was to remind the pagan Egyptians that they worshiped gods that “Aren’t”! Yes, those idols, had names, but there was no real power backing them up. By saying, "I AM" God was also making it clear that He has always existed and will always exist. It is present tense speech. He is the God of the past, present, and future!
God was also making a statement about His character. God told Moses, “I Am Who I Am” because God wanted Egypt, Israel, Moses, and the whole World to know that He is who He says He is. “I am who I am” is a statement that there is no lie, no duplicity, nothing phony, false or disguised about God. God had real compassion. Why? Because He is who He is. He has no hidden motives. God is a promise keeper and loyal to his friends. God was working out a plan of rescue. Why? Simply, because “He is who He is.” God’s Character was 100% up front. What God says, does and who He is are 100% in agreement.
What does that mean for you and me? It means we can trust God to do what He says He will do! How many times have you talked with someone who seems to imply God has harmful intent toward them? As if they better avoid God, because He wants to shoot re down from heaven at them? No, people get burned because they play with re. God helps those who look to Him for help. Period.
In the book of Jeremiah the prophet, in the Old Testament, God says this:
"For I know the thoughts which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Listen to that again closely:
“For I know the thoughts which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)
Because God says His name is, “I am who I am” – you can rest in the secure knowledge, that the good that God has said he plans for you, is all He wants for you. Just as Umut trusted his father's word, we should trust God. Whatever life circumstance is burying you or whatever “slave condition” you find yourself in, know this: God is a rescuer. Don’t doubt it. Call on Him.
A young man filled out an application for admission to a university. One of the questions on the form was to “List your Personal Strengths. ” The young man wrote,
“Sometimes I am trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and respectful.”
The next question the form asked, “List Your Weaknesses.” The young man thought a moment and wrote:
“Sometimes I am not trustworthy, not helpful, not friendly, not courteous, not kind, not obedient, not cheerful, not brave, not clean and not respectful. None of us is perfect.”
Well, God is perfect and faithful. He has no weaknesses and part of His perfection is a character you can trust.
Discussion Questions
1. Is your trust in God complete? Do you trust Him to take care of your family and possessions?
2. Why did God let Moses shepherd sheep for 40 years instead of using him while he was already a commander in Egypt as a
young man?
3. Do you believe you can believe God fully to do what he says he will do?
4. Moses felt incapable for the task given him. How did God overcome his feelings of inadequacy?
In Erzincan in 1993, a father took his young son, Umut, to pre- school. Umut’s father told him he would come back to take him safely home. On his way back to his house there was a terrible earthquake. Umut’s father’s heart was filled with fear as he rushed to where the school had stood only an hour before. Everything was totally demolished. He remembered the approximate location of Umut’s classroom and ran to that spot. There was no sign of life, but driven by his love for his son he began to dig. Other parents were in the area crying out in shrieks,
“They’re all dead, they’re all dead! Our sons and our daughters are dead.”
But Umut’s father digging with his bare hands called out to them,
“Come and help me. I told my son Umut that I would always be there for him!”
In spite of the immense amount of rubble, he continued to dig. It wasn't long before the firemen came. The school site was a very dangerous spot because gas mains were exploding nearby. They told Umut’s father that he must leave. But he kept on digging. From a distance, people were watching him. Some thought he was crazy while others could only watch in sorrow. They whispered with remorse,
“He needs to stop. It is foolish to continue digging. They are all dead.”
But Umut's father was only focused on digging,
“Don't just stand there! Come and help me! I promised my son Umut that I’d always be there for him! I promised that he would be safe!”
He continued to dig with bloodied hands and eventually made a large cavity in the debris. Still more hours passed; 12 hours; 15 hours; 24 hours. The police came and wanted to take him away. But he said,
“I must dig. My son Umut is here. I told him I would come back for him. Please help me dig!”
Unwilling to make him leave and knowing they needed the help, they allowed him to stay. But behind his back they pitied the grieving man.
“He has gone crazy,” they said to themselves.
Twenty-eight hours, then thirty hours, and Umut’s father continued to dig. After thirty-two hours while digging in a large hole, he pulled a stone aside and found a small cavity under it. He cried out,
“Umut, Umut, Umut!”
Just then he heard a tiny voice,
“Daddy, daddy!”
Umut and several of his little schoolmates had been trapped in this little cavity and they were still alive. Umut threw his arms around his daddy’s neck and said,
“Daddy, I knew you would come for me. You promised to come back for me. I told my friends you’d always be there for me.”
Umut knew something about his father. He knew his father had given him a promise, and that his Dad always kept his promises. It was this fact that kept Umut's faith alive. His faith matched his Dad’s character.
In this lesson we will learn of someone else who was “buried” and in need of help. That someone was God’s covenant people. The children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one’s who were the holders of the Covenant Promise found themselves “buried” in bondage to the Egyptians. They were slaves surrounded by hardship and with no way to escape. The scars on their backs were the only reward for their hard work. Let's start reading the story in Exodus chapter 2 verses 23-25:
23 And it came to pass after many days that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God gave attention to the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
God had made a promise, and like Umut’s father he was going to keep it.
You remember from the previous lesson that Moses was forced to live in the wilderness because he had killed a man and ed from Egypt. Well while he was in the wilderness, he met a wise man, married one of his daughters, and had two sons. After forty years of tending sheep, Moses was 80 years old and probably thought to himself,
“I have lived a long life. I have a wife, two sons, and look forward to finishing my days here in the desert with these sheep and my children."
But what we want to do isn't always what God wants to do! Let's see what happened next by reading chapter 3 verses 2-4:
2 And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him {MOSES} in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with re, but the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses thought, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned up. 4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! And he said, Here am I.
Obviously God, being God, knows all of our names. But the fact that he comes and visits any human is a special moment. God knew Moses’ name. Did you know that He knows your name as well? Though not every one of us has seen an angel or a burning bush, God speaks to all of us. For some it happens while quietly lying in bed and for others in the wild chaos of a family tragedy. Regardless of the situation, time, or location, God calls out because He has a message for each one of us. Did you notice that God didn’t call his name until Moses turned aside to look? Let's read verse four again:
4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! And he said, Here am I.
So too God waits for us to pay attention to Him. Have you ever thought that maybe God is waiting for you to do something before He can do something? Let's continue with verses 5-8:
5 And {GOD} He said, Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 Moreover He said, I am the God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And Jehovah said: I have given attention to see the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I have acknowledged their pain. 8 And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and broad land, to a land owing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
God not only remembered his promise to Abraham and heard the Israelite's groaning, He intended to x their problem! The real hero isn’t the one who sees a problem; it’s the one who solves a problem! Politicians of every country and every party talk about solving the problems of health care, education, roads, and unemployment. How many times have we heard promises that were never kept? Yes, talk is easy! But to solve a problem – that is where real leadership proves itself. And the Bible tells us that God wanted to solve the problem.
In essence, God said,
“I have seen the misery of my people. I am concerned about their suffering and I have come down to rescue them!”
God wanted to rescue them because it is in His character to rescue. In the 1800’s the American southern states kept slaves. Occasionally, slaves would escape and try to make their way to the northern states. One strong black woman, Harriot Tubman, was nicknamed “Moses” because she single handedly helped over 130 slaves find their way north. In one true incident, a black man was about to be hung for the crime of attempting to escape. Suddenly, bursting through the crowd Harriot Tubman raced to the slave, wrapped her strong arms around the man, and started dragging him to the nearby river. Guards were beating her, but she was strong and prevailed. She broke free from the crowd, threw the man over her shoulders and ran with him a hundred meters. She put herself and the man in a boat and rowed away. Can you imagine what the man thought! One minute he was standing at the gallows preparing to die and the next minute he was in a boat rowing towards freedom. Was he ever glad to have a surprise “Rescuer.” So why do you think Harriet Tubman was able to help all those slaves? It was her strong character. Wouldn't you agree that God's character and concern for people is even greater?
Listen now to the Bible as God tells his plans to Moses in Exodus chapter 3 verses 10-15:
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." 13 Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Why did God call himself, “I AM”? Perhaps it was to remind the pagan Egyptians that they worshiped gods that “Aren’t”! Yes, those idols, had names, but there was no real power backing them up. By saying, "I AM" God was also making it clear that He has always existed and will always exist. It is present tense speech. He is the God of the past, present, and future!
God was also making a statement about His character. God told Moses, “I Am Who I Am” because God wanted Egypt, Israel, Moses, and the whole World to know that He is who He says He is. “I am who I am” is a statement that there is no lie, no duplicity, nothing phony, false or disguised about God. God had real compassion. Why? Because He is who He is. He has no hidden motives. God is a promise keeper and loyal to his friends. God was working out a plan of rescue. Why? Simply, because “He is who He is.” God’s Character was 100% up front. What God says, does and who He is are 100% in agreement.
What does that mean for you and me? It means we can trust God to do what He says He will do! How many times have you talked with someone who seems to imply God has harmful intent toward them? As if they better avoid God, because He wants to shoot re down from heaven at them? No, people get burned because they play with re. God helps those who look to Him for help. Period.
In the book of Jeremiah the prophet, in the Old Testament, God says this:
"For I know the thoughts which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Listen to that again closely:
“For I know the thoughts which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)
Because God says His name is, “I am who I am” – you can rest in the secure knowledge, that the good that God has said he plans for you, is all He wants for you. Just as Umut trusted his father's word, we should trust God. Whatever life circumstance is burying you or whatever “slave condition” you find yourself in, know this: God is a rescuer. Don’t doubt it. Call on Him.
A young man filled out an application for admission to a university. One of the questions on the form was to “List your Personal Strengths. ” The young man wrote,
“Sometimes I am trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and respectful.”
The next question the form asked, “List Your Weaknesses.” The young man thought a moment and wrote:
“Sometimes I am not trustworthy, not helpful, not friendly, not courteous, not kind, not obedient, not cheerful, not brave, not clean and not respectful. None of us is perfect.”
Well, God is perfect and faithful. He has no weaknesses and part of His perfection is a character you can trust.
Discussion Questions
1. Is your trust in God complete? Do you trust Him to take care of your family and possessions?
2. Why did God let Moses shepherd sheep for 40 years instead of using him while he was already a commander in Egypt as a
young man?
3. Do you believe you can believe God fully to do what he says he will do?
4. Moses felt incapable for the task given him. How did God overcome his feelings of inadequacy?