Moses extols and exalts the Name of the Lord. He may be cynical about the people but he
certainly isn't cynical about the Lord.
His Name alone is to be praised.
When they had nothing else, no source of provision or supply, He was
there to provide. He refers to the Lord
as the Rock and surely he was thinking of the rock from which they had drunk
water on multiple occasions when there was no other water source, He was their
oasis. Moses traces this back also to
the father of the nation, Jacob/Israel and the ways in which God had provided
for him as he wandered from home towards Aram and his own time in the
desert. Jacob's experience of serving
his father-in-law was a precursor of the nation's time in the wilderness, apart
from their destiny and God's plan for them.
For all He had done, He deserved praise, no matter that Moses wouldn't
ever get to the Land.
What we think of God matters. The people hated the ruler and wanted him
replaced. Two servants used the capital
they had been given to make more, they risked what they had been given but they
did so because they were instructed to invest.
The third servant was disobedient and he also has a wrong-headed
conception of the ruler. What we see in
the ruler in his dealings with the first two servants is generosity in
trust. They had been given a relatively
modest amount of trust but then, as they proved themselves were given greater
trust, more responsibility. This final
servant believes that the nobleman is a severe man and is afraid of him. His failure to provide a return means that
what he was given has been taken away from him and the rebels are ordered to be
slaughtered. Do we believe God to be
severe or merciful? If merciful, we are
more willing to risk for His kingdom, if severe, we are likely to take no risk
at all with our lives.
Paul recounts all the trials and tribulations he has
suffered for the kingdom not to exalt himself but to point to his
genuineness. He has not served for gain,
but has risked everything and endured much suffering for the sake of the
Gospel. He isn’t complaining about what
he has experienced, he is glad to suffer so if the Gospel and the kingdom
advance. He has lost nothing of value
and what he has gained is of inestimable worth.
Paul knew the value of the kingdom, he understood those parables Jesus
told of the kingdom, a treasure in a field, the lost coin, etc. Paul knew that in his weakness God's strength
would be made manifest and yet we seek to avoid such things, we are told that
it is in our health and wealth that God is made known. How do we see trials and tribulations and how
does that influence the way we think of God?
Moses and Paul both knew difficulties in serving Him but it never kept
them from praising Him.
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