火焰熄灭之后
出埃及记四章18至23节,27至31节
18于是,摩西回到他岳父叶忒罗那里,对他说:求你容我回去见我在埃及的弟兄,看他们还在不在。叶忒罗对摩西说:你可以平平安安地去罢!
19耶和华在米甸对摩西说:你要回埃及去,因为寻索你命的人都死了。
20摩西就带着妻子和两个儿子,叫他们骑上驴,回埃及地去。摩西手里拿着神的杖。
21耶和华对摩西说:你回到埃及的时候,要留意将我指示你的一切奇事行在法老面前。但我要使(或作:任凭;下同)他的心刚硬,他必不容百姓去。
22你要对法老说:耶和华这样说:以色列是我的儿子,我的长子。
23我对你说过:容我的儿子去,好事奉我。你还是不肯容他去。看哪,我要杀你的长子。
27耶和华对亚伦说:你往旷野去迎接摩西。他就去,在神的山遇见摩西,和他亲嘴。
28摩西将耶和华打发他所说的言语和嘱咐他所行的神迹都告诉了亚伦。
29摩西、亚伦就去招聚以色列的众长老。
30亚伦将耶和华对摩西所说的一切话述说了一遍,又在百姓眼前行了那些神迹,
31百姓就信了。以色列人听见耶和华眷顾他们,鉴察他们的困苦,就低头下拜。
信息分享
回应神呼召的其中一个最难的地方,就是当呼召过后、当听到神的吩咐以后,我们如何以行动来作出回应。而这个时候,神又总是会静观我们的回应,看看我们会否按照先前在祂面前的立志而行动。
摩西立即踏出了信心的第一步,他马上回到他岳父叶忒罗那里,把神吩咐他回到埃及一事告诉他。许多时候,要将神对自己的呼召告诉家人,是最难做的第一步;但摩西的决心,得到了出乎意外的正面回应:「你可以平平安安的去吧!」
然后,神更接二连三地向摩西重申祂的呼召:
祂向他再次重申自己的呼召。(19节)
祂指示亚伦去迎见摩西。(14、27节)
百姓都相信亚伦和摩西的话。(31节)
神确是充满慈爱的。祂知道我们的信心软弱,所以便经常透过我们的朋友、亲人或客观的环境来引证我们的行动,让我们放心上路。
神单纯要求我们对祂的呼召作出回应;只要我们以行动来回应神,神就会为我们开一条出路,我们只要依从路上的指示去行就可以了。
神有否呼召你去为祂做些甚么?你是否仍然犹疑不决?抑或已经踏出了第一步?立即以行动来回应神吧!这样,你才能真正体会到神如何带领你和如何与你同在。
AFTER THE FIRE WENT OUT
Exodus 4: 18 - 23, 27 -31
18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”
And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.
23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”
27 And the LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28 So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Message
The hardest part of responding to God's call often is to act after the call has come, after God has spoken. God just waits to see if we have really meant what we said.
Moses immediately took the first step of faith and went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and told him God had called him to go back to Egypt. Sometimes telling our own family what we believe God wants us to do is the hardest step of all. But Jethro simply said, 'Go in peace'.
Then God confirmed his call to Moses in three more ways:
1. He repeated the call himself (v.19).
2. He sent Aaron out to meet Moses (vv. 14, 27).
3. The people believed what Aaron and Moses said (v.31).
God is so gracious. When our faith is weak, he knows it and will often give confirmation of the step we are taking through friends, loved ones or circumstances.
God simply waits on our response to his call. When we respond, we open the way for God to move on and all we have to do is follow.
Has God asked you to do something for him? What are you waiting for? Or have you taken the first step? Take it and see what God will do for you and with you.

