MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 6:10-13
THE SUCCESSIVE SERVICES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
I. That the successive services of the Christian life are required notwithstanding the apparent failure of past efforts. (Exodus 6:10-11.) Moses and Aaron had so far failed to induce Pharaoh to release Israel. But the service did not terminate here. The commission of Moses is again renewed. Failure never does remove men from the obligation of a divinely-imposed task, but must only be regarded as an incentive to new courage and effort. If Christian service were to yield to transient failure, there would be little of it remaining in the world to-day. There is not a church but has, one time or other, been defeated in Christian enterprise. There is not an individual but has experienced the disappointment and grief of failure. It is the dark heritage of man in this life. How many nights have Christian workers spent in their boats, upon the waters, with outspread nets, and have caught nothing! Christ only can relieve our moral service from such disappointment. He alone can fill our empty nets.
1. This service must be continued by Moses and Aaron because the command of God has not yet been executed. Men can never leave moral service until the command of God has been completely fulfilled. His entire will must be accomplished. God has issued many commands in reference to those in the slavery of sin. Christian workers cannot regard their toil as ended till they are all fulfilled.
2. This service must be continued by Moses and Aaron because their duty has not been accomplished. Christian service is not merely a command, it is likewise a holy duty. It is an unchanging and imperative duty, and therefore admits of no cessation until it is entirely achieved. A sense of duty should be the great impulse of Christian work. It is your duty to seek the liberty of the slave.
3. This service must be continued by Moses and Aaron because the slaves must be freed. The Israelites must be liberated from the bondage of Pharaoh. God could achieve it by one blast of death which should send the tyrant and his hosts into the grave. This is not His method of working. He employs human instrumentality. That instrumentality must not stay its effort while the fetters of one slave are left unbroken. The Christian worker may not cease his toil while one sinner remains in the bondage of Satan. The entire freedom of humanity is the destiny of Christian effort. We find that Moses and Aaron were sent on exactly the same work as before. It is not the Divine plan to greatly vary the Christian service of men. When God calls a man to a particular work. He generally expects him to spend his life in its execution. Each man has his own sphere of labour, and it is best for him to remain in it. There is much waste of effort in the Church, because men are so restless and changeful in their toils. We need determination, concentration, and patience in our effort to free the slave. A nobler sphere for the energy of man cannot be found. Failure is no excuse for fickleness in Christian service.
II. That the successive services of the Christian life are more difficult in their requirements. The first injunction given to Moses was to call the elders of Israel together that he might communicate to them the Divine will in reference to their nation. Now he is told to go direct to Pharaoh. The language of the 12th verse shows that Moses regarded the service as increased in rigour.
1. This increased rigour of service is surprising. Moses had failed in the lower and easier realm of service. He had exhibited despairing temper. Israel had reproached him. He had reproached God. If, then, he was unequal to the smaller service, is it not surprising that he should be called to the greater? Must the scholar who has failed in the alphabet be put to the declensions of service.
2. This increased rigour of service is disheartening. It was to Moses. He knew the difficulties he had to encounter in reference to Israel. But he felt that greater would meet him now that he must go direct to Pharaoh. If men would regard things in a right light the greater service is in reality the easier. It gives a greater inspiration. It excites brighter hope. It brings diviner help. Failure ought not to occasion retrogression in Christian service, but advancement. Christian service is a progress even to the weak.
3. This increased rigour of service is a discipline. It would show Moses that he still retained the call and confidence of God. It had not been forfeited by his failure. It would test his moral energy for the work to which he was sent. It would be a prophecy of future hardship. The successive services of the Christian life are a heavenly discipline to our souls. Increased work has often made a bad workman into a good one. It has increased his responsibility. It has awakened him to reflection.
III. That the successive services of the Christian life sometimes awaken the expostulations of men. (Exodus 6:12.)
1. These expostulations make mention of natural infirmities. “Who am of uncircumcised lips.” Moses again pleads his unfitness for the task assigned to him. He has narrowed the mission down to his own ability for it. It is unnecessary that men should inform God of their natural impediments to religious service. He knows them. He is acquainted with those whom He sends on His errands, with their weakness and strength. If He calls, it is yours to obey.
2. These expostulations make mention of past difficulties and failure. “Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me.” When men do not want to undertake the service of God they will keep up arguments to excuse themselves. If one will not answer, they are soon ready with another. In this attempt the logical faculty of man exhibits wonderful acuteness and development. Man is a good logician in this court.
3. These expostulations are presumptuous. “And Moses spake before the Lord saying.” These expostulations were made to the Lord! Men, and especially Christian workers, ought to welcome the commands of God without question. He is all-powerful. He is all-wise. Before Him we ought to stand in awe and sin not. LESSONS:—
1. Not to shrink from the successive services of the Christian life.
2. To leave all the moral work of our life to the choice of God.
3. Not to imperil our welfare by expostulation with the providence of heaven.
4. To concentrate our energies patiently on one Christian enterprise.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Exodus 6:10-11. God sometimes joineth harder work to the discouragement which his ministers have from men.
When Israel heareth not, God will have his ambassadors go unto Pharaoh, from friends to enemies.
God will have his messages delivered to the proudest kings that dare oppose Him.
Though powers oppress God’s Church, He makes them know that they will have to give it freedom.
Exodus 6:12. Infirmity of faith may cause God’s best servants to plead excuse from hard work.
The refusal of the Church to hear and believe God’s message is a remarkable evil.
Israel’s unbelief may make God’s ministers fear that strangers will much more refuse His will.
Powers and wickedness together make the greater obstruction against hearing God’s word.
Weakness in ministers for speaking, may discourage them from speaking to powers beneath.
Good men are apt to forget that God circumciseth lips, and gives a tongue, to do his message.
Exodus 6:13. Excuses will not serve God’s instruments, for God will have His work done.
God joins instruments under His charge to encourage unto His commands.
Redemption of God’s Church from bondage is the end of all his revealed will.
The recapitulation of moral service:
1. To those called to work.
2. With clearness.
3. With authority.
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
REV. WM. ADAMSON
Working for God! Exodus 6:10. Moses had looked upon the work as hard, but when his eyes were opened to perceive what a privilege it was as work for God, then he not only went to it with resolute mind, but with a merry heart. Christian service is hard for flesh and blood, but as work for God it becomes light. There is the story of a witty American who, after his men had been working all day building a house, asked them, when they were extremely exhausted with their labour, to come and play a game of digging the cellar. Readily they went; but if they had looked at it as hard work they would very likely have directed their steps homeward. So with labour for Jesus. Look not at it in the light of hard work, but look at it as a delightful thing—as a privilege to be allowed to do it. The work will be diminished of its toil.
“And Truth and Love, with their beauty and might,
Shall banish the sombre-hued shadows of night.”
God’s Ways! Exodus 6:11. Though all the ways of God are ways of light, yet many of them, says Caryl, are in the dark to man. Oh! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.
“Reason’s brightest spark,
Though kindled by His light, in vain would try
To trace His counsels infinite and dark.”
But faith understands that they are counsels of love—ways of wisdom. As Dr. Krummacher has expressed himself, God’s dealings with His people are easily discernible with the eye of faith. He often lets His people reach the shore as on the planks of a shipwrecked vessel. He deprives us of the cisterns, in order to make us drink of the fountains of waters. He frequently takes away our supports, not that we may fall to the ground, but that He may Himself become our staff and rod. The embarrassments of His people are only the festive scaffoldings on which His might, faithfulness, and mercy celebrate their triumphs. To this God was bringing Moses and Israel. Moses was hoping partly in the enthusiasm of Israel—in the awakening of their feelings of patriotism and natural love of liberty. He is soon undeceived: soon taught to repose wholly in God. And yet the way of teaching was contrary to all human ideas, and appears wrong; just as when we put a straight stick into the water, it appears crooked. Why? Because man looks at God’s ways through two media—flesh and spirit.
Church’s Redemption! Exodus 6:11. On this principle, says Wylie, we firmly look for the Providence of God culminating in a grand and universal deliverance of the Church. Like some mighty Alp—some monarch of mountains—which keeps in the traveller’s eye after every surrounding hill has sunk beneath the horizon, this deliverance will be seen above the Church’s horizon through all coming time. Every one of her former deliverances from Pharaoh downwards was a step towards this final deliverance. The Truth will continue in her from age to age; and as the night cannot return while the light of the sun continues, so the darkness of slavery and error cannot be felt while Truth, like a never-setting sun, shines within her and around her. This will be the great Exodus of the Church. And when on this day she ransoms her marshalled host, and begins her mighty song, she will find that her members are escaped serfs from every land on earth, and that her triumphal hymn is pealed forth by every tongue and kindred.
“Hallelujah! like the voice
Of the mighty thunder-roar;
Hallelujah! for the Lord
Reigneth now from shore to shore.”
—Bonar.