Am I Taking The Bible For Granted?

[Timl1980]

Before last week...I would have scoffed if someone had told me that.

 

I study all the time...it's just hard for me to APPLY the counsel sometimes. (I'm still working on that)

 

But "take it for granted'??

 

Nah...not me...I love Jehovah...I cherish his word.

 

And yet...here I am...shaking my head at my own lack of understanding...yet again.

 

I was waiting to make a delivery at a store last Wednesday when a brother called me out of the blue. We started talking about our spiritual gems from last weeks midweek meeting when suddenly he asked me if I had ever thought about how privileged Moses had been in his communication with Jehovah.

 

Numbers 12:8 "Face-to-face* I speak to him, openly, not by riddles; and the appearance of Jehovah is what he sees. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

 

We discussed the meaning of "face-to-face"...and then he asked me about the part that said..."not by riddles".

 

Why DIDN'T Jehovah use riddles to speak to Moses? He used them with all his other prophets...why not Moses? 

 

Having over an hour more to wait until I could be checked in at this store...I sat in my work van and started doing some digging. We looked at the research material together and came up with the answer...and then he hit me with a serious left hook I never saw coming:

 

Jehovah spoke to Moses plainly, directly, (through angels...although the research material gets a bit more interesting on that particular point when you read it thoroughly)…that's true...but he still revealed things step by step...and his understanding was still limited. 

 

Moses was directly inspired to write about the BEGINNING of creation...Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden...original sin...the flood,(and the list goes on and on)…and yet...here's what he DIDN'T know:

 

Moses didn't know the Messiah’s identity, how the ransom would work, the full shape or scope of the Kingdom, the resurrection hope the way we do today, exactly how Jehovah would sanctify his name, the global preaching work, the “new heavens and new earth.”, he didn't even know about the end‑time prophecies.

 

Moses saw how everything began...but he also had to watch and record everything that went wrong to begin with...WITHOUT a full picture of how Jehovah would set things straight. Did he understand Genesis 3:15? I don't know...I wouldn't think so.

 

Moses got to know Jehovah's glory, (so much so that his face SHONE and had to be hidden)…he became Jehovah's friend...and yet, via the book that is even now sitting in front of me...I know more about OUR God than Moses ever did.

 

Moses heard Jehovah's voice piece by piece...I get to hear Jehovah's voice in full…just by opening this book and reading it.

 

Moses had to wait to hear Jehovah speak again...all I have to do is turn to the next page.

 

Moses may have written the opening books of the Bible...but we are living through the ending.

 

All around us...right now...Satan's world is on the absolute verge of utter collapse. Worldly voices all across the planet are loud, angry, confused...afraid. 

 

But this book sitting open by my computer?

 

This book has the single most powerful voice to ever exist coming up out of it...reverberating love, peace and simple truth to anyone humble enough to read it, ask questions...and search wholeheartedly for the answers.

 

So yeah...I can honestly now say that I have been taking the Bible for granted sometimes...and I'm very grateful to this dear brother for reminding me that I don't NEED to speak to Jehovah "face to face" right now...because he has given me a book that lets me see his heart more clearly than Moses ever saw his "face".

[cme]

Always Tim....Thanks again.