The Call of God

Moses's Story

Moses was an Israelite who had grown up in Egypt. His parents were slaves to the Egyptian king. He was supposed to have been thrown into the river and drowned when he was born but His mother built a small boat for him before she put him in the river. The kings daughter came walking along the river and heard him crying. She took pity on him and raised him as her own son.

As Moses grew older he wanted to help his people get out of slavery under this cruel king. One day he was out for a walk when he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelite slaves. Moses was furious. He looked carefully around to make sure no one else was around. Then he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

The next day he he saw two Israelites fighting. "Why are you beating up your brother?" he asked the man doing the beating.

"Who made you a judge?", asked the man. "Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?"

Now Moses was scared. People knew what he had done. Afraid to stay in Egypt he ran away to Midian. Instead of helping his people escape he had only made it impossible to be with his people.

In Midian he got married and had a son. He worked for his father-in-law taking care of his sheep.

One day He was way back on the back side of the dessert near Mount Sinai looking for grass for the sheep. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw a fire. He jerked around an looked. There in the desert was a bush engulfed in flames but as he watched it didn't burn up. The flames were there but the bush wasn't disappearing. "Well I'm going to check this out", he said to himself. "Why is this bush not burning up.

Then a voice came out of the bush. "Moses. Moses."

Moses stopped and stared at the bush. "H-here I am." he stuttered.

"Don't come close. Take your shoes off because the ground you're standing on is holy. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

Moses gasped and covered his face with his arms. He was afraid to look at God!

The Voice continued, "I have seen that my people are in trouble in Egypt. I have heard their cries when their taskmasters abuse them. I know their sorrows and I have come down to deliver them out of Egypt and to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh so you can bring my people out of Egypt."

But Moses protested, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring all those people out of Egypt?"

"I will go with you, said God, "and this will be a sign to you. After you bring the people out of Egypt you will all serve me here on this mountain.

Moses said to God, "But when I come to the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you'; and they say to me, 'What is his name?' What shall I tell them?"

And God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM. Tell them, I AM has sent me to you. Jehovah, 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 unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, I have visited you, and seen what is being done to you in Egypt. I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. They will listen to you and you and the elders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, 'Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us: and now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God'. But I know that the king of Egypt will not give you let you go, but I will trouble them with all my wonders and plagues and after that he will let you go.

Also I will make the Egyptians think well of you and you will not leave empty handed. Every woman shall ask her neighbors and friends for silver and gold jewelry and clothes, and you shall put them on your sons and daughters and take all the riches of Egypt with you when you leave.

But Moses said, "They will not believe or obey me, they will say, Jehovah did not appear to you.

So God said, "What is that in your hand?"

"A rod."

"Throw it on the ground."

So Moses threw his rod on the ground and it turned into a snake. Moses jumped back afraid.

But God said, "Now pick it up by the tail."

Moses carefully reached out and gingerly took hold of the snakes tail and suddenly it turned into a rod again.

God said, "This is so they will believe you that I have sent you. Now put your hand under your outer garment.

When Moses obeyed his hand turned white with leprosy. And God said, "Now put it in again." So Moses put his hand in again and when he took it out it was completely healed again. "Now if they don't believe or obey you when you show the first sign; show them the second. If they don't believe either of the two; then take some water out of the river and pour it out on the ground and it will turn to blood."

Well that excuse didn't work so Moses tried another. "But I am not a good speaker," he said. "Never have been and not now. Talking has always been hard for me."

But God asked him, "Who made your mouth? Who makes a man deaf or dumb. Is it not me? Now go, I will be with you and tell you what to say."

"O please send someone with me at least," Moses begged, "Whoever you want, but please send someone."

Now God was angry with Moses, "Ok how about Aaron your brother? I know he is a good speaker. You tell him what to say and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and teach you what to do. He will be your spokesman to the people. Take your rod with you to do the signs I showed you."

So finally after arguing with God; Moses gave up and went to do what God had asked him to do.

Jonah’s story:

Jonah was relaxing on his roof one day when he felt the spirit of God come upon him.

God spoke to him. “Jonah, get up and go to Nineveh that huge city and warn them about the judgement I will send on them.”

Jonah’s eyes grew wide. “Nineveh? There’s no way I’m going there. They are vicious enemies of ours. They raid our people, plundering and killing. They want to take over our entire country! I know God and if I go warn them and they repent God will forgive them and won’t destroy them after all. If I just don’t go they’ll never know what’s coming until it hits them and then it will be too late. Our enemies will all be dead before they know what’s happening. Nope I’m not going there.”

But Jonah also knew that God would not simply allow him to disobey so that night after dark Jonah packed his bags and slipped out into the dark night. He headed straight for the sea. He would find a ship going far away. Far away where even God couldn’t find him.

Isaiah’s story:

Isaiah was tired. It had been a long day and he was so ready to get to bed. He finished his supper, washed his feet, and prepared for bed. He lay down on his bed and pulled his blanket up to his chin to keep out the cool night air. He closed his eyes to sleep but slowly he became conscious of an image growing brighter and fuller. Suddenly he broke out in goose bumps because he saw God! He was sitting on a throne and the train of his robe filled the temple in Jerusalem. Seraphim stood above the throne. Each one with six wings and they cried to one another "Holy, holy, holy, is the the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." The voice shook the posts of the door and the house filled with smoke.

As Isaiah looked on God he realized what a sinful man he was and he cried out, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips and live in the middle of a people of unclean lips. Because I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

Then one of the seraphim flew to Jeremiah and in his hand he held a glowing red coal from the alter in the temple. He touched it to Jeremiahs lips and said: "This has touched your lips and now you are clean."

Then Jeremiah heard the voice of God say, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?"

Then Jeremiah said, "Here am I! Send Me."

Saul’s story:

Saul had spent many years in school learning about the scriptures. He had sat at the feet of some of the most well known Jewish scholars in the nation. He was well versed in the traditions handed down for hundreds of years as well as the popular Greek thought that had spread across the lands conquered by the Romans.

The thorn in the side of all the Jews was that the Romans had conquered them and they could not take back their independence. The Jews waited for the promised messiah to come and lead them in a great victory over the Romans so they could once again be free and be Gods chosen nation.

But now this latest sect that had sprung up was claiming the messiah had already been here. They claimed that this man named Jesus was the messiah. True he had been crucified but they claimed he had come back to life. How preposterous! This movement had to be stamped out, and quickly. Saul had already tracked down quite a few of them in Jerusalem and had brought them before the counsel and had them locked up or otherwise punished but this movement had already spread to other cities so Saul was on the way to Damascus to round up the heretics there.

It was a long way and it was hot. The horses plodded slowly along and as the day wore on the riders were slowly wilting in the blazing sun which was finally beginning to sink toward the horizon as they approached Damascus. A soft bed and a good meal would feel good after a few days on the road.

Suddenly out of nowhere a brilliant light pierced down from the sky shining directly onto Saul. He was so taken by surprise he fell off his horse and landed on his back on the ground. A voice came out of the light and said “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

“Who - who are you Lord?” Saul stammered.

“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads”

“Lord what do you want me to do?”

“Get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do.”

The men who were with him had heard a voice but they had not seen anyone. When Saul stood up he could not see at all so they guided him into the city.

For three days Saul fasted, neither eating nor drinking, and waited to hear what he should do. On the third day a man named Ananias came to see him. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord sent me so you could get your sight back and so you could receive the Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. Ananias then baptized him and he ate and drank again. Saul's name was changed to Paul and he began to tell anyone who would listen about Jesus. He went on to travel many many miles during his life preaching about Jesus in many cities and in the end he was killed because he wouldn't stop preaching.

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