“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV).
While tending the flock of his father-in-law, Moses had a dramatic supernatural encounter with God that set him on the right path of his divine purpose in life.
However, before Moses finally agreed to undertake the divine mission to return to Egypt to deliver and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, God had to perform some miraculous signs before Moses to fully persuade and strengthen his faith and confidence in the God of Israel.
The first of the miraculous signs was the turning of Moses’ shepherd staff or rod to a snake when he cast it on the ground before God.
Exodus 4:
2 The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 And he said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
4 But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand, and take it by the tail” –so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.
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(RSV).
Before Moses cast his rod on the ground before God, it was a mere dry wood, staff or stick with which he tended the flock of his father-in-law. However, after Moses had willingly surrendered his rod to God, it ceased to be an ordinary rod or staff to Moses.
Although God continued to refer to it as Moses’ rod, yet Moses never for once again called it his own rod after his dramatic encounter with God. Rather, Moses always called it “the rod of God.”
Apparently, Moses had completely and permanently relinquished any claim or right he had to his rod. Therefore, he rightly called it “the rod of God.”
When the Amalekites came and fought with the children of Israel in Rephidim, Moses instructed Joshua, saying, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” (Exo. 17:9 NKJV).
When you also surrender “your rod” to God, it ceases to be yours; it becomes “the rod of God.”
The rod of Moses represents his whole life. It symbolizes his dream, ambition, vocation, wisdom, skills, strength or might. Moses’ rod was his identity, his instrument or weapon while in the desert.
Therefore, when Moses willingly cast his rod on the ground before God, he was actually surrendering or presenting his whole life to God.
Although Moses was not very sure of God’s intention for asking him to cast his rod on the ground, yet he did. This shows Moses’ willingness or mindset to die to himself – to abandon, to forget, to ignore or renounce his personal dreams, ambitions, skills, wisdom, or strength.
It takes such a willingness, disposition or mindset to be greatly used of God!
After Moses’ supernatural encounter with God, he returned to Egypt with a strong conviction that the rod he was holding in his hand was no longer his former ordinary shepherd rod, but a holy, divine or supernatural rod.
The Scripture records, “Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.” (Exo. 4:20 NKJV).
With the rod of God in his hand, Moses wrought great exploits, signs and wonders in Egypt that confounded and humiliated Pharaoh and all the sorcerers, magicians and wise men in Egypt, and he also did great exploits with it in the wilderness.
With the rod of God in his hand, Moses brought out the children of Israel from Egypt, thereby fulfilling His divine purpose in life.
Having surrendered his rod to God, though God never took it from his hand, yet Moses ceased to see it as belonging to him, or as an ordinary shepherd’s staff and thus he never again used it for tending the flock of his father-in-law.
After his divine encounter with God, Moses began to see his rod (a symbol of his life) as holy and supernatural, no longer an unholy and ordinary rod for tending the flock. This is why Moses chose to refer to it as “the rod of God” (Exo. 17:9).
Like Moses, after you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you must cease to see, regard, and treat yourself again as though you still belong to yourself, rather, you must begin to see and treat yourself as one who is set apart for God.
Paul states, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:8 NKJV).
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:20 NKJV).
Similarly, you must cease to see, regard and treat yourself as though you are just a mere or ordinary person.
Any life that is presented, yielded or surrendered to Jesus Christ ceases to be an ordinary, insignificant, unimportant or unholy life!
Having become born-again through faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ, you are no longer your old sinful self; you are now a new self, person or creation in Christ.
Paul reveals, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV).
As a born-again believer, you are now a washed, sanctified, justified and anointed person in Christ Jesus. You are no longer a wretched, miserable, and helpless sinner or weakling; you are now a supernatural and anointed saint in Christ Jesus.
Paul testifies, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11 NKJV).
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22 NKJV).
One of the things the devil fears most is you seeing, knowing, and walking in the understanding of your new spiritual status, condition or position in Christ Jesus.
Beloved, just as Moses began to see, call, regard and treat his rod as the holy rod of God after surrendering it to God, having surrendered your life to Christ, you also must begin to see, call, regard and treat yourself as sacred and holy to God, and no longer as a common, unholy, natural or ordinary person.
Anyone or anything consecrated or set apart to God ceases to be common, unholy, natural or ordinary; but rather, sacred, holy, divine or supernatural.
Therefore, as a born-again believer, who has willingly and unreservedly yielded his life to God, you must now begin to see and call yourself who and what God said you are now in Christ, not who or what you used to be before surrendering your life to Christ.
In Christ Jesus, you are now holy, blameless and above reproach in God’s sight!
Apostle Paul clearly presents this truth.
Colossians 1:
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. (NKJV).
In Christ Jesus, you are no longer a slave but a son, a joint heir with Christ, a king and a priest to God (Eph. 1:7, 1 John 5:4, Rev. 5:10).
1 Peter 2:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (NKJV).
If Moses had gone to Egypt to challenge Pharaoh with a mindset that what he was holding in his hand was simply his former ordinary shepherd rod, he would have undoubtedly failed and died in the hands of Pharaoh and his sorcerers in Egypt.
Similarly, if you fail to begin to speak, operate, walk, act or live according to your new and divine spiritual condition, position, status, authority and identity in Christ, you will not be able to appropriate, enforce and enjoy the victory that Jesus Christ has won for you on the cross, or be able to accomplish God’s purpose for your life.
Friend, having being joined together with Christ through the New Birth, you are now one spirit with Christ (1 Cor. 6:17). Therefore, as Jesus is, so are you now in this world (1 John 4:17).
As a joint heir with Jesus Christ, the divine authority, wisdom, power, wealth and grace of Jesus Christ are now readily and constantly available to you (Rom. 8:17).
You are presently seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). You are anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
You are the temple of God and you are carrying about the fullness of God in your born-again spirit, just as the Lord Jesus Christ did while He lived physically in this world (Col. 1:19, 1 Cor. 3:17).
Therefore, like Moses, stop seeing, speaking, walking or operating as a mere human, flesh, natural or ordinary person on earth.
When Paul heard that the Christians at Corinth were walking, behaving or operating as mere or ordinary men, he sharply rebuked them in his letter to them.
1 Corinthians 3:
1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready,
3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? (RSV).
If Paul were alive today, he certainly would sharply rebuke many Christians today for speaking and walking as mere men.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for opening my eyes of understanding today to the truth that having surrendered my life to you, I am no longer a mere human, natural or ordinary person. My Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to live and walk daily in this light and truth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.