22nd April 2024
The sword of the Spirit
This is the eleventh study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says…” Exodus 5:1 (NIV)
Who was the man whom God instructed Moses to confront? This Pharaoh, and others before and after, was believed to be the only mediator between the gods and the world of men. He was seen as all-powerful, able to control nature and fertility. He owned most of Egypt’s land and was responsible for his people’s welfare. He was responsible for maintaining cosmic order – bringing order out of chaos, ensuring agricultural prosperity by calling on the gods to regulate the waters of the Nile – the source of life for the country.
The plagues God visited on Egypt struck at the heart of these beliefs. He was pointing out, through Moses, who this mediator really was – the person who really mediated between the heavenly and the earthly realms. The Exodus story sees Egypt and its Pharaoh humiliated, destroyed, and their gods discredited and helpless in the face of the one true God.
The story of Moses’ confrontations with Pharaoh covers eight chapters of Exodus (5-12), and there is a theme to each of their conversations. Moses’ first words to Pharaoh were, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go…’ ”. Moses makes it clear where his authority comes from, “…the Lord, the God of Israel…” (Exodus 5:1). God said a lot of things to Moses during this time; a whole raft of instructions on what to say to the king of Egypt, each prefaced by, ‘And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…’ (Exodus 6:10 NKJV). He was in constant communication with those he had chosen to complete the task of rescuing his people. They were not left alone, guided through every step, and kept safe in a dangerous mission as they obeyed, ‘…Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did.’ (Exodus 7:6).
Everything that Moses said to Pharaoh was from God. And much later, in the history of Israel, Christ relied on the same source of strength and safety when he confronted Satan. He did not boast about his powers; neither was he tempted to perform miracles, but his responses to Satan were brief, and embedded in God’s word: “…It is written…” (Matthew 4:4-10), and quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13 and 6:16.
Deuteronomy is seen as a farewell book, written by Moses to the Israelites, to remind them of the words of God. Jesus chooses to return to this ancient text, and the God-given wisdom in its pages, to resist everything Satan had thrown at him. There is safety and perfection in God’s word, and that reality persists today for each one of us.
Both Moses and Jesus did what the Apostle Paul described, when writing to the Ephesian church: they put on the whole armour of God to stand against evil. To fight their battles they used his words, ‘the sword of the Spirit’, and not their own (Ephesians 6:17). Paul had the evidence of these two men, and the battles they won, as a foundation for the metaphor he chose.
Prayer
Father, we know that you are a God of wisdom and a God of love, and that you provide us with all that we need to resist evil and live according to your perfect will. Thank you for preserving your word so that we have a guide. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Maggie Mitchell
About the writer:
Maggie Mitchell attends the Market Harborough congregation of Grace Communion International
Local congregation:
GCI Market Harborough
9 The Point
Rockingham Road
Market Harborough
LE16 7QU
Meeting time:
Sunday 4.00 pm
Local congregational contact:
Sinead Henderson
Email: sinead.henderson@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church