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Moshe runs from God
As the story goes Moshe, an Israeli Christian who loved God with all of his heart and was known in his community for his good works, his work in the Church, his love, and his testimony for Christ. He was beloved by all, saints and sinners, children and animals alike.
God’s call came to Moshe to go to the mission field while he was at a mission’s conference in Jerusalem. Moshe was quite sure he heard the Word of the Lord call him to missions but where God had called him to go, troubled him greatly.
He confided to his friends in his Church what God had put in his heart but he also shared with them his reservations about God’s call because God wanted Moshe to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets of Damascus, Syria!
His friends were aghast. They said; “Don’t you know the Syrians hate us Jews, and want to destroy us? They are butchers who kill all who do not worship as they do. On top of that, they hate Christians and won’t tolerate anyone giving a testimony of Jesus Christ in a corner much less a street, and besides, we hate the Syrians! Don’t you remember their treachery when they attacked us on a holy day and endeavored to destroy our nation?â€
Conflicted, Moshe didn’t know what to do. Several weeks went by and Moshe continued on in his life as if everything were normal. The Lord’s call came again to Moshe when a visiting evangelist came to Moshe’s Church. Frantic, Moshe shared with his friends what the Word of the Lord said since he did not know what to do.
One of Moshe’s friends Chaim, a successful business man, knowing Moshe’s whole story and about Moshe’s call to Damascus, offered his services to Moshe. He said; “Moshe, I have a private jet and a pilot. Please use them and get away! Go to my house in Italy. It has a private air strip and a sports car as well as servants who will care for all your needs. There also is a good Church nearby with Jewish believers near my house. You will be far more comfortable in my house in Italy than you will be here. You must get far away from Syria since we know what a Godless, difficult people they are. They will never listen to your message. At best they will imprison you. More likely, they will cut your head off with a dull knife! God does not want you to lose your life, He wants to give you life! Run! Flee! Go now!â€
Moshe boarded his friend Chaim’s private jet and flew out of Israel.
As he sat in the private jet gaining altitude heading away from his calling and his homeland, Moshe looked around at the splendor of the jet, reflecting on the opulence of Chaim’s home he would now be occupying with many servants to take care of him and he remarked to himself; “It is good to go to Italy. There I will be better off than I was in Israel. Many opportunities have opened up to me now. I can serve the Lord in foreign missions in Italy in a Church that has Jewish believers. Since my expenses are paid, I can devote all my time to the Lord. It is good that I go to Italy. Chaim, my friend is not named “life†for nothing!â€
As Moshe was thinking these lofty thoughts of serving the Lord in Italy and the beautiful accommodations he would have and the new life his friend had given him, the Word of the Lord came to him again at the same instant both engines in the jet caught fire and quit. “MOSHE, WHY HAVE YOU REBELLED AGAINST ME?â€
Moshe’s thoughts were all jumbled as everything was happening at once. As emergency buzzers sounded and the cabin lights went out, the pilot yelled over his shoulder for Moshe to fasten his seat belt and to make sure, if he could, to get into the life raft because they were going to crash into the Mediterranean Sea! Panicking, Moshe was trying to grab his suitcase and put his shoes on.
With no time to think or react, the beautiful private jet skipped across the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. The wings were ripped off and the plane, just behind Moshe, was torn in two as the plane shuddered to a halt. As the aircraft came to a rest in the Sea, Moshe was first aware of the cold water rushing into the airplane. Then reason returned to him; “I must get out before I’m drowned!†Unfastening his seat belt he tried to drag his suitcase with him and find his shoes but realized his life was in imminent danger because the plane was sinking rapidly. He must get out. Abandoning everything, Moshe swam through the gigantic hole that used to be the rear of the beautiful private jet.
As the aircraft sank swiftly, Moshe swam clear of the airplane toward the surface of the sea… to air. With his lungs hot and almost bursting, Moshe broke into the sunshine and gulped huge amounts of beautiful, glorious air thanking God he could still see sunshine, breathe air…. and live.
Taking stock of himself to make sure he was intact and then looking around, Moshe saw the pilot of the aircraft about 100 yds away in a life raft. Immediately he struck out and started swimming to the life raft. The pilot spotting Moshe began to row the raft toward Moshe. As hard as Moshe swam and as hard as the pilot rowed, the wind and the waves drove them further apart until he could no longer see the pilot or the raft. Moshe quit swimming and started to float. He was so exhausted.
Floating and treading water for six hours in the waves of the Mediterranean Sea brought Moshe’s energy reserves to an end and he could not float or swim any more. Slowly, quietly, in despair, Moshe slipped beneath the surface of the water into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol ; You heard my voice. “For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. “So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ “Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. “I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. “While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. “Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD.” Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. Jonah 2:1-10
What is the moral of this story I’ve written?
Chaim whose name means “lifeâ€, did not give life to Moshe in helping Moshe rebel against God. Chaim was a pragmatic humanist who thought what was best for the moment, according to what he could see, was more important than obedience to God.
If Chaim was a prominent figure in the story of Jonah as he was in Moshe’s story, what would God have done with Chaim, considering what happened to Jonah?
How often do we act just like of Jonah or Chaim and rebel against God? Can you rebel against God and truly live?
“THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:30-31