COME AS A CHILD LESSON 118 - WHEN YOUR BEST EFFORTS ARE JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH

So by now Moses had his personal life with God straightened out, and both sons most likely had been circumcised (remember we think there is a possibility that the youngest son was not quite eight days old when God got mad about the first son not being circumcised, so probably he was circumcised shortly after that incident.)  

It seemed that Moses must have gone back to Midian, taking Zipporah and the boys back home for awhile.  They needed to heal and would not be able to make the long journey to Egypt until they recovered from the circumscism.  Moses would need to go without them.  They could join him later.   

God still had to deal with the fact that Moses was not wanting to be the speaker for him with Pharaoh.  Moses must have gone to Mt. Horeb to discuss this with God up on the Holy Ground where he had seen the burning bush.  We know that Moses was there because that is where Aaron found him when he sought him out because God had commissioned him to do so.  Possibly Jethro told Aaron where to look?  We are not certain how this transpired, but the two long lost brothers did meet on the Mountain of God.

So much of this reminds me of the relationship today of the Christians and Jews.  When will they find out they are REAL brothers?  When will one believe another?  It seems a lot of miracles take place up on The Mountain of God.  It will be like watching Moses and Aaron when this finally happens and the family is reunited.  Well - on with the current story.....

The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So Aaron went to meet Moses at The Mountain of God.   

It had been forty years since Moses had seen Aaron.  Aaron had been a slave and Moses had been a Prince of Pharaoh.  They probably had never accomplished that natural closeness that most brothers are able to develop.  They knew each other; but they didn't KNOW each other.   

Now that Moses understood that Aaron was his real brother, God brought the two together out in the wilderness on top of His mountain and then God began to instruct them on their mission.  The scriptures indicate that the brothers embraced.  The word used in the scriptures is "kiss," and it indicates that God was a part of this scene as well as the brothers.   God must have quickly repaired their relationship and brought them to the point of brotherly love.  It was customary for those cultures when meeting close friends and relatives to embrace and kiss both sides of the face.   

Moses explained to Aaron everything the LORD had been saying to him.  Perhaps that is why they went up to Mt. Horeb, so that Moses could show Aaron where he had this amazing experience with the burning bush.  Moses explained all the signs  and the things that God had commanded for him and Aaron to say to Pharaoh and the two headed off for Egypt together.

When they arrived, Aaron gathered all of the elders of the Israelites and told them everything the LORD had said to Moses.  They performed the signs before the people and the people believed.  The people were so relieved to hear that God was concerned for them and their misery!   They bowed down and worshiped God. 

So with the backing of the people of Israel, Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and said:  “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:  ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”

Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go?  I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.”

Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh:  “The God of the Hebrews has met with us.  Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

The request to take a three day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to God is such a foreshadowing of the time when Jesus Christ was sacrificed for our sins and spent three days and three nights in the grave.  God was setting this pattern in motion with his people way back in the days of Moses speaking to Pharaoh.  Moses points out that without this journey there would be plagues or death by the sword, and this is what our salvation redeems us from.  Moses was so hopeful of redeeming the Children of Israel.   Pharaoh, however, was not in a listening mood.  

God's anger was the least of Pharaoh's concerns.  Pharaoh was disturbed that Moses and Aaron were taking the people away from their labor.  He told them all to get back to work.  He was angry with Moses and Aaron.   He gave orders to his slave drivers and overseers to no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks; but they had to go and gather their own straw, making their work much harder.  

This is so typical to what happens to someone desiring to worship God with all of their heart.  Satan is not concerned; except for his own causes.  He does all kinds of things to prevent this time alone with God from happening.  He might remove the essentials for survival, such as happened to the Israelites with Pharaoh's taskmasters.  He will do anything to make it hard for you to be totally dedicated to worshiping The One True God.  

Even though The Children of Israel had more work added on, they were required to make the same number of bricks as before.  This meant longer, even harder days of unreasonable labor without rest.    Pharaoh declared them to be lazy and claimed they were making excuses not to work by crying out through Moses and Aaron.  He called them liars and told his overseers to pay no attention to them if they cried out.  The slave drivers complied to Pharaoh’s demands.  When the people did not make their quota of bricks they beat them.  When the people complained to Pharaoh he just called them lazy and said they wanted to get out of their work and that was why they were saying they needed to go out to the wilderness to worship their God. 

When Pharaoh would not relent and The Children of Israel saw they now had twice as much work to contend with; they were angry with Moses and Aaron.  They complained to them that their suggestions had made Pharaoh even harder on them than before, and now they had lost any favor that they might have gained with working hard for Pharaoh in the past.  They were angry and frustrated!  Their faith began to crumble.  They told Moses and Aaron “May the LORD look upon you and judge you!”

So Moses went back to talk to God.  He had one question:  “Why?”  Why God?  Why have you brought judgment on these people instead of deliverance?  Why did you ask me to go and cause all of this trouble for them?

Now Moses was homeless, without any friends, tired and worn out and missing his family in Midian.  His mission now looked like a complete failure.  All he could do was sit with his questions for God as the people suffered more and more.  

What does one do if they have been obedient to God and things go south anyway?  

Should one be patient and keep trusting in spite of the horrible circumstances? 

Sometimes it always looks darkest just before the dawn.

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 116 - SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED A BROTHER TO HELP

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

So we left Moses standing there in front of the burning bush where he was clearly hearing the voice of God saying; GO!  Tell Pharaoh to let my people go!

Thinking about all the things that God had already said to Moses, I am reminded of the lyrics of that beautiful old hymn called “Here I Am Lord” especially when I read these lyrics:

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Well, God was definitely set on sending Moses.  Moses, on the other hand, being so very human, had all these questions; “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you?’

So God tries to help him out.  God says to Moses “What is that in your hand?”  Moses replies that he is holding a staff. The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”

So Moses throws his staff on the ground and right before his eyes it becomes a snake.  Yikes!  He ran from it!  But God called down to him; “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.”  So, as frightened as he was, that is what Moses did.  Instantly the snake turned back into a staff.

As Moses stood in amazement, God explained what was going on.  “This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.”

God wasn’t through yet.  He told Moses to put his hand inside his cloak.  When Moses did this and then took his hand out again it was covered with leprosy, white as snow.  That must have felt pretty horrible! God then told Moses to put his hand back inside his cloak.  When Moses did this and pulled his hand out again,  his hand was restored! 

Well, Moses must have been amazed and God kept giving him even more instructions:  “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.  If they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground.  The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”

All of this was astounding and amazing and it  should have convinced Moses that everything was okay; but Moses seemed to have a little confidence problem.  He brought up the fact that he had never been an eloquent speaker.  He mentioned that his speech was slow and his tongue did not always cooperate. 

God didn’t blink.  As a matter of fact, he got more aggressive with his plans for Moses. 

Moses obviously needed a few reminders!

I can imagine God’s voice becoming a whole lot louder with each statement as He addressed Moses with the obvious: 
“Who gave human beings their mouths?”
“Who makes them deaf or mute?”
“Who gives them sight or makes them blind?”
“Is it not I, the LORD?”

“Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Well, you would think Moses’ confidence would have greatly improved by now.  Nope!  He gets even more shy and timid and says the unthinkable back to God:  “Please send someone else.”

Oh my, all the angels in heaven must have been terrified in that moment!  God had already given angry answers.  How could Moses say such a thing?  But he did say it; and the LORD’s anger burned against him! 

Folks, you can mark this down.  God is going to do what God is going to do!  If he doesn’t use you or me or Moses, He will command the rocks to do His will.  The will of God is destined to come about.  No exceptions, one way or the other!  Why are we so stubborn to that fact?  Taking this into consideration, I would say God showed a lot of patience with Moses.

“What about your brother, Aaron the Levite?  I know he can speak well.  He is already on his way to meet you and he will be glad to see you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.  But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

One cannot help but remember how back in Egypt Moses had played second to his brother Ramses.  He had not wanted the responsibility of being in charge.  Now those same old tendencies were creeping back up, things he thought he had changed when he moved on to Midian.  God saw the problem and he brought Aaron to help, but he clearly told Moses to pick up the staff and keep it.  

It was Moses that God was going to use, however it took to get him there. 

They were no longer subject to Egypt, and God was calling the shots in this game.  God was about to teach Moses something he should have learned years ago; how to stand up to a Pharaoh. 

We all have Pharaohs; those people that are oppressing us against our will and holding us in bondage.  It takes God entering our lives, bringing His power to us, to give us the strength to stand up and face these people who have no rights over us.  

It never hurts when your brother knows your needs, agrees with you and goes along for moral support.  In the end you both will realize that it was the power of God that saved the day, and nothing that any man could do.  

If God is for you; who can stand against you?  Moses was about to discover the truth of this statement.  He picked up the staff and headed down the road.

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 114 - A REVIEW OF THOSE WHO WERE AT THE WELL AND UNDER THE TAMERISK TREE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

A few weeks ago we began studying what happened to Moses after he fled from Egypt.  

We spent last week’s lesson clearing up and discussing the details and facts of the day Moses killed the Egyptian Taskmaster.  We concluded that what some claimed to be a murder committed by Moses was simply an act of self-defense.  

Previously we covered the fact that Moses was no longer safe in Egypt and spoke of how he ran away to the desert land of Midian where he came to rest beside a well.  It was there that he met the seven daughters of a Midian priest who took him in and made him his son-in-law. 

I asked you then if the well seemed to be familiar.  We did study this particular well back when we were studying the book of Genesis.  I feel we need to go back and review the vivid details of that lesson again; before we move on with the rest of the story of Moses.  

To me the significance of the story of this particular well is extremely important to Christians living in the world today.  This one little well has so many untold lessons that they cannot even be counted.  We will hear more and more of it as we continue our studies, but for now; I wish to review what happened to Hagar and Ishmael at that well.  I want us to think about how God ties things together over and over again,  and how He lets simple things, like this old, old well, teach us of His faithfulness. 

Please bear with me in the repetition and the backtracking.  I think it will be well worth your while.  You will realize more from this story than the first time you heard it.  We will also repeat some of this particular story in more detail as we continue studying the life of Moses beyond this review.

Just close your eyes and visualize Moses, hot and tired from his journey.  He is walking up to the well, dipping cold water to cure his thirst and leaning back to rest under the tall and leafy shade of an old, old tamerisk tree.  Then let you mind continue going back even further; all the way back to the days of Abraham and Hagar.

Here is Lesson 57 of The Journey Through Genesis and the lesson called “The Bush and The Well:” 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 57 - THE BUSH AND THE WELL

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Most of the story of Hagar and Ishmael has been told; but there is a little bit more that we should cover here before we make a turn and leave them for a while.  There is so much to tell and time limits how much we will be able to discuss.  How I wish that were not the case.  This is a very important topic.  Today I want to look closer at the little details that are often overlooked in the typical discussions of the story.  God is in the small things as well as the larger things and in this story, the small things make a huge difference in the large things.  

Let's try very hard to remember every little thing about these two (Abraham and Hagar) because they are a big part of the thread in the whole tapestry that God is weaving as He forms and shapes the nation of Israel and eventually all the nations of the world as we know it today.

God has been writing this story for years and years, slowly changing the hearts, fully telling the truth, finding and loving the lost and the hated forever.  Not just yesterday!  He is Eternal.  All of these nations and peoples that are so loved of God came originally from Abraham, Sarah and Hagar.  It is important to walk a while in each of their shoes and to see what God taught each of them.  We need to know who they really are so that we can realize who we really are. 

We have already discussed that Hagar was set free by Abraham.  She and Ishmael went to live near a well in the desert.  

One would think from reading the scriptures that was the last time Abraham saw of Hagar, but is that a realistic assumption?  Many think that Abraham kept up with Hagar and Ishmael and provided for their welfare.  Even though Sarah and Hagar were separated and maintained separate homes with their own sons, it seems that Abraham loved and cared and provided for both sons.

If you think about this long enough, you come to realize that the well which was only a few bow-lengths away from the place where Hagar lay Ishmael to die was possibly located very close to where Abraham and Sarah were living in Gerar.  It would not have been too far for Abraham to travel, or to receive news of the needs of Hagar and Ishmael.  

   

If you think about it all even longer you might come to suspect that this very well was probably the same well that we later hear about when Abraham and Abimeleck made an agreement to live peacefully with each other in the land for three  years.  This was a sort of treaty between them that happened long after Abraham and Sarah had left Abimeleck’s palace where amazingly (even after Abraham had deceived Abimeleck,) King Abimeleck had promised them use of the land to graze their cattle and promised them that they would be free to live on the land as they wished without harm.  

Years had passed since Abimeleck made this promise and he had been good to his word.  Abraham and Sarah had been allowed to dwell in the land even though they were foreigners.  When it came time to seal the deal with a treaty, Abimeleck reminded Abraham that he had kept his end of the promise.  Now it was Abraham's turn to make promises.

Many were amused when this treaty was formed.  They marveled that Abimeleck would even think of making an agreement with Abraham after the way Abraham had lied to him and deceived him into thinking that Sarah was his sister.    Yet; Abraham had prayed for Abimeleck and his household and the Philistine King had seen the results of those prayers.  It must have made quite an impression.  There had been much healing. 

Abimeleck knew also from a dream that God was blessing Abraham and that Abraham was a prophet of God.  Perhaps Abimeleck was afraid God would bless Abraham so much that he would lose all of his kingdom to him.   Was it not rumored that Abraham thought his descendants would inherit this land eventually?   This three year treaty probably seemed the best way to go.  They could live together in peace for a period of time, then Abraham and Sarah could journey on to somewhere else.  The King would no longer be threatened with these people taking over his territory.  In Abimeleck's eyes, it was just a temporary arrangement and one day in the future he would like to end the temporary arrangement without too much of a fight and on agreeable terms.

Abraham’s perspective of this treaty would have been quite different from that of Abimeleck, having been told by God that his descendants would eventually be given the land.  Abraham might have seen this treaty as the beginning of many more to come.  He wanted to live peacefully in the land and he wanted to have a good relationship with the king that now ruled the land.  

So the two men made the treaty, each of them looking at it from their own perspective; Abraham thinking this was God's first step in His plan for his descendants to acquire the land, and Abimeleck thinking he was preparing them for the date when they would make their eventual departure.  Each man entered the treaty seeing their own possible advantages.

However, to make the deal sweeter, there was a well that Abraham had dug, and he had noticed Abimeleck’s men were constantly fighting with his men over the water rights for this well.  Abraham pointed this out to Abimeleck and mentioned that he had set aside seven female lambs as a gift to Abimeleck in exchange for the well.  Abimeleck, knowing that the deal would never be sealed without this, accepted Abraham's terms.  What harm would it be for Abraham to own the well if he eventually had to leave?  Abimeleck's people would just take it over at that time.  Wells could be reclaimed easily enough.

When this treaty was finished and sealed, this particular well was considered to be the legal property of Abraham.  It was the first thing that he had actually bought and paid for and owned exclusively in the new land.  It was the most important move that Abraham could have made!  In this dry land, water rights meant survival.  This was a very important well.  It was the often overlooked first step in God fulfilling the covenant that promised the land to Abraham and his descendants.
  

Knowing that God had finally given him a piece of the property that had been promised for years and years, Abraham built an altar at this well and gave thanks to God.  He was full of joy and elated to see the promises coming to pass!  He thanked God for the well, and for the beginning of the fulfilling of the rest of the promise.  

Isaac’s birth had fulfilled a large part of this promise and a small piece of the rest of it was now beginning to come about too.  Abraham was determined that Isaac’s children and their children would live in this land that had been promised by God to Abraham.  Owning this one little bit of the land where the well was had given Abraham much hope for the future.

Abraham realized at this late point in his life when God first began to fulfill the rest of the covenant, that God had a different perspective on time than he did.  Abraham realized for the first time ever that God was eternal and everlasting.  The importance of this truth overwhelmed Abraham.  It sunk into his very soul and he thought a lot about the fact that God goes on forever and ever, infinite, without end.

He had known that God was powerful and righteous, but this was the first time that Abraham had pondered the fact that the God he faithfully served was forever and ever.  Here at this well Abraham called God El-Olam which meant Eternal God.  Abraham pondered the fact that an eternal God had given him a promise and that promise would belong to all of his descendants.  They would know and call on this name of this very same Eternal God all through history.  

Abraham  finally realized that every thing he had done and would ever do would affect the eternal blessings of God toward his descendants.  That is why Abraham planted a Tamerisk tree beside the well.  

Tamerisk trees grow slowly.  You do not plant them for your own shade.  You plant them to shade the people in the generations to come.  Abraham praised God that his descendants would come and sit under the shade of this Tamerisk tree near the well of Abraham where they would draw water to satisfy their thirsts in the years to come.  

It was a huge moment of faith for Abraham.  

It was a gigantic leap in his understanding of how big God really is and how eternal his blessings and promises are.  Abraham praised God here and offered up his thanks.  With the planting of the tamerisk tree he had planted down roots.  

Abraham continued to live a godly life with Sarah and Isaac in Gerar.  There he once again opened his doors to strangers and he always told them about El-Olam - The Everlasting God.  The House of Abraham was once again spreading the word about the One True God of Heaven and Earth.  You might even say that Abraham and Sarah were the very first evangelical Christians, because of their faith!  They were preaching the gospel before the gospel message was fulfilled because they believed in an Eternal and Everlasting God.   It must have been a wonderful time for Abraham and Sarah and Isaac.  These must have been the most precious years of their lives.

Abraham was so happy with the way things were going that he decided to give a huge celebration on the day that Isaac was weaned.  We have already discussed this story too, and we noted the way that Sarah persuaded Abraham to turn Hagar and Ishmael away so that only Isaac would inherit from Abraham.  

Abraham was quite perplexed but discussed this with God first, which also shows us the change and the maturity of Abraham in this place.  He heard God say to listen to Sarah so Abraham decided to do what he personally did not want to do.  He gave Hagar and Ishmael some bread and a flask of water and told them they were free; and that they must leave.  

Perhaps Sarah saw this as getting rid of Hagar and Ishmael, but perhaps Abraham only saw this as separating the two women and their sons.  He only gave them enough bread and water to wonder a short time.  Perhaps he even told Hagar which direction to take.  No one really knows what was happening in Abraham's heart on that day, but what we do know is they stumbled on the provision of a well just in time, just as their bread and water ran out.  It was a well that had been very significant in Abraham's life; a well where an altar had been places and thanks given to an Eternal God.  Perhaps no one knew how holy the ground around the well was; but God knew and God was there.  

We have also discussed that Hagar wandered in the desert until the water and the bread were gone and then she laid Ishmael down beneath a bush and went off a few bow lengths away from him so she did not have to see him die.  She began to cry.  Ishmael also began to cry.  The angel of the LORD heard Ishmael's cry and came to Hagar and Hagar's eyes were opened and she saw the well.

If you think about it, the well that Hagar saw which was close to a bush where she laid Ishmael to die (about two bow-lengths away) was probably the same well that Abraham and Abemileck had formed the treaty over.  It more than likely was the well bought with the seven female lambs.  

This well had been the beginning of Abraham's miracle from God, the first rights to the promised land.  It was also Hagar’s miracle from God.  Her eyes were opened in that very spot and she saw how to bring her nearly dead son back to life.  This was the well in Beersheba near Hebron on the Sinai peninsula, not too terribly far from Gerar.  Some people have different theories, but this is what I have come to believe about the well: 
  

The bush that Ishmael lay under was most likely a young tamarisk tree that had been planted a few years ago by his Father, Abraham.   When these trees are young they look more like bushes.   Hagar, being originally from the desert lands of Egypt would probably have known the special qualities of the tamarisk trees.  

These trees grow in soil with high concentrations of salt.  They have small leaves and small branches.  During the heat of the day these trees secrete salt.  The salt dries.  During the night the salt absorbs water from the air.  In the morning the water evaporates creating the effect of a natural air conditioner and the air beneath this tree is always cooler during the daylight.  God was still looking out for Ishmael.  He gave him air conditioning in the desert heat!

Perhaps Hagar, even though she was afraid her son might die, did not walk away for only that reason.  Perhaps she wanted him to have all the benefits of the air underneath this tree.  Perhaps her walking away was a noble sacrifice, giving him the cool air in the midst of the desert heat, and yet she would be close enough to hear him if needed.  

It is also said that the leaves of this tree, when they have been shed beneath the branches, make a soft warm bed in the desert during the night.  They tend to absorb the heat from the sand at night and keep one warm.  As hot as it is in the daytime, the desert is also very cold at night.  You can die from cold just as easily as you can die from heat.  Hagar was smart enough to use all of her survival skills to protect her son and to keep him alive.  Beneath the tamarisk tree was the very best place for Ishmael to be. God was still guiding Hagar, even as she was lost in the desert.  

This is a personal thought that I want to give future research to, but it is my own personal theory that Hagar and Ishmael, lost in the desert, were the first people to encounter the burning bush; even before Moses.  I believe it existed in the area of that tamerisk tree; or even that it WAS that tamerisk tree.  

If you study the areas where there were burning bush experiences, you will find that this well dug by Abraham and the bush were close in proximity to each other.  Moses later met Jethro's daughters as they were drawing water from a well.  There were seven daughters who drew, and seven female lambs were paid by Abraham to obtain this well for his descendants.   Moses saw the bush not too far from this well.
  

Getting back to our original story, we are told that God heard Ishmael’s cry and then spoke to Hagar.  Could it be that God heard Ishmael’s cry because Ishmael was laid down in a very holy place?  We are told in the scriptures that the place of the burning bush was holy.  

Let’s read how Moses described the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-5:

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God.  There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.”  When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses!  Moses!”  And Moses said, “Here I am.”   “Do not come any closer,” God said.  “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

It is quite possible that Ishmael was laid down right on the same holy ground and God heard his cry and his prayer for himself and his mother.  Then God called out from the bush to Hagar, much in the same way that He called out to Moses.  God called out to her by specifically naming her name.  God knew Hagar’s name and He told her not to fear, that he had heard the cries of the boy in the bush.  

Wow!  Does that not give you chills up and down your spine?  God KNEW Hagar by name and He told her not to fear.  I can just feel Hagar's countenance changing from very humble to confident and sure.  I can see the hope in her eyes increasing every second.   Just as God remembered Sarah in her time of being an outcast; He also remembered Hagar.   He had heard her son crying under the BUSH, probably the same bush where God many years later called out to Moses.  

The cry of Ishamael in God's ear probably sounded a lot like another little baby's cry from the basket in the river made from the bushes called bulrushes.  Long before God heard the cry of Moses, He heard the cry of Ishamael.   Long after God heard the cry of Ishamael and Moses, He heard the cry of Jesus from a manger in Bethlehem.  God heard each baby cry out, and this baby named Ishmael was crying out, probably near the same well where Abraham had worshiped God and thanked Him for being eternal and keeping all of his promises.  

This incident in the life of Hagar and Ishmael probably happened in the same place where from generation to generation future we will hear of miracle after miracle for Abraham’s descendants.  The stories are as uncountable as the stars from Heaven.

So;be sure to listen up whenever you hear mention of the bush or the tamarisk tree or the well.  It will be meaningful, and it usually involves God calling someone out; using their personal name and giving them personal instructions.  Ask Moses.  Ask Jacob.  Ask David.  Ask Mary.  Ask Abraham.  Ask Ishmael.  Ask Isaac.  Ask 21 Egyptian men who were recently beheaded for their belief in the cross from the modern times where we now live. 

These cast-out children of Abraham were all in some ways hidden under a bush on holy ground.  At one time they were all lost and afraid and they all cried out to God for help.  God had told them all not to be afraid.  Abraham, their leader, had made a covenant with God right in this very place.  Here in this same place, Hagar looks up and sees the well that will keep them from ever thirsting again.

Now the roots of the tamarisk tree have grown deeper and deeper and generations and generations have passed since the days of Abraham, but many, many of his descendants have remained faithful and loyal to God; no matter where they are, no matter their circumstances in life.  It is the story of the tamerisk tree being told over and over again.  It has been played out right before our eyes in present times too.  The tamerisk tree speaks of an Eternal God who always keeps His promises.  The tree is still alive and well and it is growing today.  God is still Eternal and Everlasting!

The witness of the children of Abraham of The Eternal God has grown slow and strong, putting down roots like the tamerisk tree, slow and steady, taking a long, long time, hardly noticed at first, overshadowed by the larger trees of the land who are not so flexible and not so strong.  

The tamarisk trees have now spread across the lands and the nations. People of God have found the truth of The God of Abraham and followed His Son, Jesus Christ.  This means so much to them that they would die before denying the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.  They do not seek this death for their own glory, it finds them and allows them to be a true witness; much unlike those men who falsely think that what they do that breaks every commandment of God will bring them honor and glory.   True People of God never seek their own honor.  They only give glory to God.  This is a test that is always accurate.   

These false self-proclaimed prophets of terrorism who also follow a false prophet seek their own glory and their own benefit.  Those who have been willing to die selflessly rather than deny the name and cause of The One True God are the true martyrs.  They are the true ones who will be rewarded by God.   They are with the souls of the martyrs under the altar!

 Even today, many more have lost their lives being a witness for this truth that they believe enough to die for.  They have kept an unwavering faith in this God of Abraham.  They know without a doubt that they have found the most valuable thing ever.   They have been burned, beheaded, tortured and killed, but their witness, like a slow growing tamerisk tree now spreads its branches and covers a land who seeks for truth.  The trees will talk and their voices will be heard throughout eternity.  They died for an Eternal God.

If no one else speaks for them; even the very rocks will cry out to tell their witness story; that the God of Abraham is The One True God.  Their blood cries out to God even now, just like the blood of the righteous Abel.  God will hear.  He will honor them.  The God of Abraham looks after his people who are tortured, exiled, lost and afraid.   He saw that other Egyptian named Hagar and He came to her rescue.   The same God who loved Hagar and knew her by name, reaches out to those like her living in the midst of every land today.  

The story from the tamerisk tree and the story spoken from the blood of the martyrs that call out to God is eternal because it is a story of The One Eternal God - El-Olam - The God of Abraham, and He never changes.  

So remember El-Olam, the One Eternal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when you hear of a well, or a tree, or a bush.  Listen for the cry of God that calls out to individuals from every land from a very holy place.  He hears.  He sees.  He is eternal.  He wrote the story, and He will finish the story.  He knows the beginning from the end.  Follow Him.  He knows your name!  Every name of every true martyr is recorded in His book, The Book of Life.  The Lamb guards the book.  He is  The Lamb that bought the well of everlasting water from which no man drinking will ever thirst again.  The price has been paid.  The Father who paid the price through His son is constantly calling out names.

There is only one correct answer when you hear Him calling:  "Henini"  "Here I Am."  That was the answer given by Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Moses, Isaac, David and all of the disciples of Jesus Christ in the new testament.  That was the answer of all those who have been recently martyred.  "Here I am."    

Will that be your answer when He calls your name?  

We are living in times when you must decide.  You must know your answer.  God will show you.  He showed Abraham.  He showed Hagar.  He showed those who recently followed Him forsaking all else.  He always keeps His promises.

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 112 - HOW THE PRINCE OF EGYPT BECAME A SHEPHERD OF MIDIAN

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

At some point as Moses grew up in the Egyptian palace as a prince, he must have realized that he was actually a Hebrew. 

He had been nursed by his own mother until he was two.  Perhaps he had memories of being with her in that warm, cozy little house where they lived in Goshen.  

Perhaps his sister had stayed in touch without letting anyone know.  Children are not easily separated.  

It seemed that at some point he knew but did not acknowledge who he really was.

The scriptures speak of Moses as a grown man going out one day and seeing how hard his “brethren” worked and feeling sorry for their burdens. 

One day Moses saw an Egyptian harshly beating a Hebrew.  When Moses looked around and saw that there were no Egyptian witnesses; he killed that hateful Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.  It seemed like the thing to do, since there would be no defense for a Hebrew slave and the Egyptian man was clearly committing a hateful sin.  Moses, in a sense, made his own justice, and then he tried to hide the evidence by covering up the body.

Does anything about this remind you of the story of Cain?  You would not expect to find the same traits of the sinful Cain lurking in the heart of Moses.  Yet, similar to Cain, Moses had become angry and that anger had led to murder.  Of course the man who abused the Hebrew WAS guilty.  Did that make Moses less guilty?  Was his anger righteous anger?  Did the fact that there was no justice for the Hebrew people make Moses’ actions right?  This is something to ponder and perhaps discuss a little later.

Moses thought he had covered up the evidence of the murder. 

The next day two Hebrew men were fighting and Moses approached them and asked them “Why are you striking your companion?”  One of the men apparently had seen Moses kill the Egyptian because he answered “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?  Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”  

The truth always comes out.

Moses became afraid that his secret justice was known.  Word of mouth travels swiftly.  When Pharaoh heard of the matter he commanded that Moses be killed.

Apparently the fondness that Pharaoh showed before when his daughter adopted Moses had worn off.  Moses had presented Pharaoh with an easy and legal way to dispose of his unpleasant company.

Moses and Pharaoh must have disagreed on almost everything as Moses had grown into manhood.  Living in the Egyptian palace might have been a bit uncomfortable for Moses at times.   Pharaoh might have considered Moses a threat to his kingdom from inside its very walls, especially in the times when they disagreed; which was probably every day that passed.   

Moses was not stupid.  He could see where this situation was headed and he ran away.  He had not been very happy in the palace anyway.

Moses went to live in the land of Midian.  When he arrived there he sat down beside a well.  I’ll give you three guesses as to which well this was?  Perhaps we will speak more about this at a later time too.

The seven daughters of the priest of Midian came out to draw water from the same well. They sought to water their father’s flocks, but some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses saw this and stood up to the shepherds for them and helped them to water their flock.  Something about this story sounds oh so familiar.  

Remember how Jacob met Rachel?  The same details are included in both stories.

Perhaps this problem of not being able to use the well until all the other shepherds had left the area happened often to the daughters of the Midian priest.  Maybe they came home late many times over because they had been waiting their turn and had been forced to be the last to water their flocks after all the other shepherds had finished watering their sheep.  One automatically wonders about this because when they arrived back home to their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”

They told their father an Egyptian man had delivered them from the hands of the shepherds and that he stayed and drew enough water for them and their flock.  I had to wonder if this Midian priest knew the old stories of Abraham and his descendants.

The father, Reuel, asked them why they had not called the man to come and eat dinner with them?  It would have been customary to return a favor.  So they ran and found Moses and brought him to their father’s table to share his bread.  Reuel and Moses became good friends.  Reuel invited Moses to stay awhile.  Moses enjoyed their company very much and was content to live under Reuel’s roof. 

Eventually, the father and priest named Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

Zipporah bore Moses a son. His name was Gershom, meaning “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”  Perhaps we will also have more to say about Moses and his relationship with Zipporah later.

Time passed.

Eventually the King of Egypt died.

 The plight of the Hebrew people only grew worse under the new Pharaoh. They groaned under the burden of their heavy bondage. They cried out to God again.

It is funny how people always seem to remember God when they come into miserable circumstances; though they had completely forgotten Him when they were doing well on their own.

The Israelites in Egypt were not doing well at all and they cried out night and day.

God heard of their bondage.

He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God looked down and saw the pain of the Children of Israel and God acknowledged them.  They were, after all, God’s chosen people.