Mensa Otabil - It's Show Time
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Exodus chapter 7, verses 8 and 9: Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, «When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Show a miracle for yourselves, ' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, ' and it will become a serpent.»
This is the point of no return. God has been talking to Moses for a while from Mount Horeb. He says, «This is what you’re going to do. You’re going to tell Pharaoh, 'Let my people go.'» They’ve been going back and forth; sometimes Moses is not sure, and the children of Israel are not sure God will get back and show them. But finally, He says, «It’s showtime, Moses. You can’t run away from this assignment. You’re going now to face Pharaoh and start the process of deliverance.» God can give us time and opportunity to deal with uncertainties, but there is always going to come a time when you have to face your situation head-on, and this is the time.
God anticipated Pharaoh’s actions; He knew Pharaoh would ask for proof from Moses. If Moses says he’s been sent by God, the God of the Hebrews, and that this God is mighty, where is the proof? Pharaoh is a king; if somebody comes to you claiming to have power, you have to determine their credentials. What are their proofs of authority? So, Moses and Aaron have to back up their words with action. Pharaoh has to prove them. God told Moses and Aaron what to do; He said, «Pharaoh is going to ask you to do this, and when he does, do that.»
It is so profound that God can see what the enemy is going to do and prepare us ahead for it so that we’re not taken by surprise or shocked by the enemy’s actions. He says, based on the earlier arrangements, you are the one to speak the word; Aaron is the one to do the action. That’s what you do when the time comes. The interesting thing I want to draw your attention to is a word that is translated as «serpent» in this verse. In Hebrew, the word translated as «serpent» here is very different from the word that is translated as «serpent» in chapter 4 when God met Moses the first time and his rod became a serpent. This serpent is different; this one connotes a bigger animal.
So what does that all mean? It means that sometimes in private, God can demonstrate something to us, but in public, He does something bigger than what He showed us in private. In private, Moses’s rod turned into a serpent, but in public, the serpent was going to be bigger. It’s going to be better; it’s going to be greater. For me, it assures me that when God decides to publicly do something for His children, He does it far bigger than what He promised His children He would do and what He showed you in private. He’s going to showcase you in a bigger way.
For many of you, are you afraid of the public because you think, «Oh, what I’m going to do will be very small, it will be insignificant»? Yes, in private it may seem insignificant and small, but when it goes out there in public and God backs you, it’s going to be bigger, it’s going to be better, and it’s going to be greater. That’s what God did for Moses. I’m going to show you a bigger thing than I showed you in private, and Pharaoh is going to confront something bigger than what you saw in your private life. May God do something bigger, greater, and abundantly more than you’ve ever experienced.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are the God of miracles. Show forth Your power through me. In Jesus' name, amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom. Peace and life to you.