Summary of sermon by Alpheus Mdlalose, 17 Aug 2014
Numbers 27:12
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
Here we find God speaking very harsh words to Moses. Why?
God had a specific plan with the life of Moses, even from birth. Pharaoh issued a decree that all the boys born to the Israelites should be killed. But his mother saw that he was a very beautiful child and she hid him. When she could no longer hide him, she nursed him for Pharaoh’s daughter, and he grew up in the palace. With time Moses saw the difference between the children of Israel and the Egyptians, and chose the people of God. Eventually God used Moses to miraculously deliver the children of Israel.
But the people complained continuously, so much that eventually Moses could not bear it and became impatient, spoke harshly with his mouth and struck the Rock which God told him to speak to.
We won’t be judged by what people say to us and how they react towards us and treat us, but we will be judged by our reaction towards them and whether we honour God’s name through our reaction.
A certain woman spoke to mr Mdlalose and after awhile he realised that he knew her. But it was clear that she was far from God, in the world. She then admitted that once she was on fire for God but once at home she submitted to family pressures and visited a witch doctor to get witchcraft medicine for her son in prison. After that all her love for the Lord disappeared and her desire to serve the Lord.
Esau also sold his birthright for a pot of soup.
Someone who came out of satanism was asked why he went into it. He admitted that he was promised riches and went for it on the spur of the moment.
Don’t just be satisfied being called a Christian, but is your life bringing glory to God?
When one reads the edict of the pagan king Darius (Dan 6:25-27), it reads like the words of a prophet of God. Why? Because of the life of Daniel, who brought honour upon God’s name through his exemplarary life. When he was told of the decree that no other god may be worshipped for thirty days except the king, he continued to worship God as he had before, opened his window towards Jerusalem and prayed. He was also faithful in his work.
Even when the king threw him in the lion’s den the king had hope that God would deliver him (Dan 6:16). When the king cried to Daniel the next morning whether God had delivered him, Daniel acknowledged how God had delivered him and gave glory to God (Dan 6:21-22).
Not far from here mr Mdlalose and others visited a woman, treated her wounds and gave her food, because she was neglected by her family when she became sick, because she was a Christian who steadfastly refused any witchcraft medicine or being taken to a witchdoctor. She glorified and honoured God’s name even in her sickness, by her firm decision to follow Jesus even when the family turned against her and refused to give her food. Eventually she passed away, but even at her funeral God’s name was honoured and glorified because of her life!
So let us honour God’s name whether it’s easy or difficult.
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