God's calling - our calling

There can be times when we may feel that past failure, sin or fear will keep us from stepping into or fulfilling the calling of God for our life.  Fear of failure, inadequacy and guilt can be huge stumbling blocks but our God is mightier than any of our sins and failings. The Bible is full of stories of people who felt inadequate or who in human eyes had disqualified themselves from ministry yet God had not finished with them despite their failings and weaknesses.

When God met Moses at the burning bush, he told him to go back to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh to set the Israelites free.  Moses argued with God five times about his inadequacy and every time God gave him the words and signs necessary. Finally God’s anger burned against Moses and as a concession he said that Aaron could go with him to speak to Pharaoh.

By the time of the tenth plague though Moses didn’t need anyone to speak on his behalf because his confidence in God meant he was more than adequate for the task. This stood him in good stead for leading the people out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and dealing with a difficult and rebellious group of Israelites for 40 years.  Moses had asked God at the burning bush to send someone else but God knew that Moses was the man for the job.

Moses’ brother Aaron was one who could also have been disqualified from his calling of being the first high priest of the nation.  While Moses was up the mountain for 40 days and nights Aaron led the nation into idolatry by making and worshipping the golden calf.  Not long after that debacle God appointed him as high priest.  Most of us would have thought Aaron had blown it irrevocably but not God. He had called Aaron to the priesthood.

Or what about David, the great king, the man after God’s own heart who committed adultery and murder? Surely he should have been stoned to death but when confronted with his sin, he repented before God writing surely one the most beautiful psalms, Psalm 51.

Peter let Jesus down by denying him three times on the very night when he could have used a friend. Yet Peter became one of the leading apostles in the early church. And Paul persecuted and murdered the early Christians yet when confronted by the love and grace of God he stepped into his God given destiny to be a great apostle and author of much of the New Testament.

God has a calling on each of our lives and whilst we may not be called to lead the nation or be a great apostle, we have a unique and important role to play. The devil would like to remind us frequently of our sin, failure and inadequacies but God would remind us that those he has called he will also equip. His love and grace are always more than enough to overcome our shortcomings. 

Next time you feel you have irrevocably blown it just remember these great men of God who fell or were overcome by their insecurities and recall what they achieved.  If they can do it, so can we.

Amazing grace

 Grace – the free and unmerited favour of God. God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.  Saved by grace – unearned yet freely given. As New Testament believers we wonder afresh at God’s mercy and grace to us.  God is so good to us and we are so undeserving. However it is always good to look at grace in the Old Testament where it flowed just as freely to equally undeserving people as it does to us today.

Aaron, Moses’ brother, is a wonderful example of grace.  Aaron’s story like Moses does not start until he is an old man.  He is called to work alongside Moses and be his spokesman.  Aaron is at the centre of God's workings through the plagues to release Israel from Egyptian slavery.   He sees firsthand all the workings of God. All the way it is Moses and Aaron though gradually Moses, too fearful at first to speak on God’s behalf to Pharaoh or anyone else, takes his role as leader of the Israelites. 

Even after the miraculous passage through the Red Sea and into the desert, the people complain about Moses and Aaron and together they sort out the lack of bread and meat (Exodus 16).  All this time, Moses’ role becomes clearer and Aaron must have thought he would always just be Moses’ right hand man. God however had a role for him that was unique but it was not yet time for it to be revealed

Three months after they left Egypt, the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Moses was called up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and other laws.  First though Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders were invited up the mountain to ‘meet’ God. ‘But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God and they ate and drank’ (Exodus 24:11).  Afterwards Moses entered the cloud on the top of the mountain and was not seen again for 40 days. 

Despite all that Aaron had seen and experienced, at the first sign of discontented people, Aaron caved in and made them a golden calf to worship (Exodus 32).  Moses was up the mountain receiving from God the Ten Commandments and all the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and the institution of the priesthood  and down below, the man chosen by God to lead the worship and offer sacrifices on behalf of the nation, was leading them all into idolatry. 

It is at this moment that most people would rapidly change their plans for priestly personnel and the last person to become chief priest would be Aaron.  The Levites honour and zeal for the Lord contrasted strongly with Aaron’s weak leadership.  3000 died by the Levites sword and the Lord sent a plague amongst the people for their diosbedience.  Moses interceded with God for the nation and God spared them and Aaron. 

Nine months later (Exodus 40:2) the tabernacle had been made and was consecrated and Aaron and his sons are ordained as priests.  Why did God not destroy Aaron after the episode of the golden calf?  Why did he still continue with his plans to make Aaron and his family chief priests?  The only answer is grace. 

None of us get what we deserve.  None of us deserves to be saved or used by God.  No one deserves to be a priest unto Almighty God and yet each of us is called to the honour. Because of God’s love and amazing grace, we get what we don’t deserve.  Paul is keen to remind us that grace is not a license to sin (Romans 6: 1 – 2) but grace encourages us to love and serve God with faithful and thankful hearts and to show grace to those who may have failed or disappointed us. 

Today let us be thankful afresh for God’s grace.