Acts 7:27

Acts 7:27 says, But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?  One of those fighting threw his neighbor aside and asked Moses who made him a ruler over them.  We shouldn’t be surprised if we get the same response when attempting to settle a dispute today.  Those fighting each other might unite in fighting us.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? The man asked Moses if he was going to kill them as he had killed the Egyptian the day before.  Moses thought no one else saw, but he was wrong. We may attempt to cover up our sins, but they are not hidden to God.  When attempting to settle a dispute between two Hebrews the next day, they asked Moses if he was going to kill them too.  Verse twenty-nine continues, Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.  Then the pharaoh knew of Moses killing the Egyptian, and Moses fled the second death sentence. His sin had found him out, and there was a consequence.  Today, when we act on our own without making sure that we are doing God's we will find that we are ineffective in doing God's work.  Moses' rash act led to his no longer being in the pharaoh’s house.  Moses was in the land of Midian. He had been in service to his father-in-law.  This was the second forty years of Moses’s life, and he still hadn’t accomplished much for God.  Verse thirty declares, Then when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.  Then, God sent an angel, who appeared to Moses out of a burning bush that was not being consumed.  God got Moses's attention through what at first sight would have seemed an ordinary event.  How often do we miss the miracle or a message from God because we don't take the time to look past the ordinary.  We see the burning bush, and dismiss the fact that it isn't being consumed, so we don't hear the angel speak to us.  Verse thirty-one adds, When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,  Moses was curious enough to go and examine the bush that was burning but not consumed.  When he got closer, God spoke to him.  We may miss the message of God because we refuse to look when He attempts to get our attention.  Verse thirty-two continues, Saying I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.  Then the Lord spoke to Moses telling him exactly Who He was.  God said "I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses trembled.  We today must know the God that we serve, and that is the Only God Who has ever existed.  When we come into His presence, we should tremble in awe.  Too often we reduce God to being a buddy or a sidekick instead of the God of Creation. Verse thirty-three says, Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.  We need to realize that like Moses, when we are in the presence of God, we are on holy ground.  We hear of people making trips to the Holy Land, but how often do we hear someone say that when they were in church, just for example, that they were on holy ground.  Verse thirty-four adds, I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. Verse thirty-five continues, This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send  Verse thirty-six states, He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.  Stephen reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt and their wandering in the wilderness for forty years because of their disbelief.  We will always be wandering in the wilderness until we come to Jesus Christ by faith.  Verse thirty-seven adds, This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.  Stephen spoke of Moses promising them a Deliverer, Whom they should hear.  Verse thirty-eight continues, This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:  Stephen said that though Moses could be viewed as the head of the church in the wilderness that it was actually Jesus Christ, Who was with the angel, Who was.  It doesn’t matter who the earthly leader of a congregation may be, Jesus Christ had better be the head of the congregation.