“Then Moses said, “‘You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”’
~ Exodus 32:29
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever been really disappointed about something or someone? How did you feel when you thought that you were going to do something – like going to a zoo, but then for one reason or another you were not able to go to the zoo? How did you feel when your dad or ma said that he or she would buy you something – like buying you a new toy, but then for one reason or another your dad or ma did not buy you the toy that you wanted? Did you feel bummed? Did you feel angry? Did you feel sorry for yourself? Every guy, gal and kid will at one time or another have something happen to him or her that will make the guy, gal or kid feel very disappointed. Every guy, gal and kid will at one time or another have someone do something to him or her that will make the guy, gal or kid feel very disappointed. Your grandpaa right now is the field team leader for nine other missionary units who are from the United States and three Guatemalan host country missionary units. Your grandpaa believes that he is to unreservedly accept each missionary unit who is on the OC International – Equipo SEPAL, Guatemala field missionary team. Your grandpaa believes that God foreordained – before He created planet Earth, who the units would be who would be assigned at this very moment to be on the OC International – Equipo SEPAL, Guatemala field missionary team and what each missionary unit would do while he or she is in Guatemala. Your grandpaa believes that he is to come alongside and encourage each missionary unit who is on a field missionary team to do what he or she believes that God is asking him or her to do. Your grandpaa had a very disappointing experience around the first of this year when – as your grandpaa was going through an annual self-evaluation with one of the field team missionary couples, the husband of the couple told your grandpaa that his wife would no longer be involved in any ministry. This couple had made the decision that the wife would always be home in her house when her kids were not in school. Before this couple made their decision, the wife was very involved in ministries. Because the wife was not coming to the weekly field ministry team meetings, your grandpaa – while he was going through the self-evaluation with the couple, had asked the wife to attend a minimum of one field ministry team meeting a month. Because a wife did not have to be in any of the field ministry team meetings, this couple’s wife had not been attending any of the weekly meetings. Because the wife was asking field team missionaries to help her in her ministries, your grandpaa felt that it was important that she attend a minimum number of the weekly field ministry team meetings. The wife this week went to a place that is located about four hours away from Guatemala City – which is where she lives, to teach Vacation Bible School classes for a week. The wife seems to be away from her home and kids just as much now as she ever was before the first of this year. Your grandpaa is glad that this wife wants to do ministry – as she really is very good at ministering with the host country guys, gals and kids; your grandpaa would just like this wife to respect every other guy and gal who is attending the weekly field ministry team meetings by attending these meetings, too.
Your grandpaa’s disappointment with one of his field missionary team wives cannot compare to the terrible disappointment that Moses must have felt as he was descending Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments or the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. Exodus 22 recounts what Moses did because of how terribly disappointed that he was with the guys and gals who God had tasked him the responsibility to lead. Moses had been on the top of Mount Sinai for forty days and nights talking with God. Moses did not eat for those forty days and nights. What was written on the two tablets of the Testimony, God wrote. After spending these forty days and nights with God, Moses started back down Mount Sinai – back to where God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids, were encamped. As Moses was making his way down from the top of Mount Sinai, Moses heard loud singing. When Moses got to where he could see God’s specially chosen guys and gals, Moses could see that the guys and gals were worshipping a calf made of gold – and having a wild time doing it. How do you think that Moses felt when he saw what God’s specially chosen guys and gals were doing – and that it was his bro Aaron who was the guy behind having the golden calf made? Moses was furious. Moses threw to the ground the two tablets of the Testimony – busting the two tablets all to pieces. Moses would burn or melt the golden calf. After melting the golden calf, Moses ground up the melted golden calf, mixed the ground up gold in water and had God’s specially chosen guys and gals drink the water with the ground up gold in it. Moses went from forty days and nights celebrating being in God’s holy presence to a campsite of over two million guys, gals and kids who were thinking only of themselves. These are the very same guys and gals who God had demonstrated His power and care to through ten plagues, through a dry path through the Red Sea and through a food for them to eat called manna.
After Moses burned or melted the golden calf idol, Moses wanted to do more to . . . Moses asked the Israelite people group’s guys who among them would stand with him to kill sons, bros, friends and neighbors. The only guys who would stand with Moses were guys from the Levite tribal clan. Moses and the Levite tribal clan guys – before God stopped them, killed three thousand Israelite people group guys. Because guys from the Levite tribal clan stood with Moses, verse 29 says “Then Moses said, “‘You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”’ A disappointed God will bring about a consequence.
Exodus 32 (203)