Fresh Vision

“Hashem said to Moses, 'See I have made you a master over Pharaoh...You shall speak everything that I command you.'”

Ex. 7:1-2 Tanach (emphasis mine.)

“A master over Pharaoh? Could have fooled me! From my vantage point it looks like he's got the upper hand and is calling the shots!” That was the problem. Moses needed a fresh vision.

To be fair, being God's designated deliverer was no small task. From the beginning Moses struggled with God's plan to free His people. There had to be someone more qualified.

His first attempt failed. Misunderstood by the Israelites and in trouble with Pharaoh, Moses left Egypt in a hurry. Now, back in town and on the job, he failed again. This time the result was more oppression for the already overworked slaves. He'd reminded God more than once that he wasn't the right person for this and now he had proof.

Moses needed help and God had the solution. “See I have made you a master over Pharaoh.” Moses' vision required an adjustment. He had to look at the situation through God's eyes. God saw Moses as Pharaoh's superior although neither one of the men recognized this – yet. To God, Moses was so far above Pharaoh in status that he didn't need to lower himself in order to speak to Egypt's ruler. He was to say out loud whatever God told him and then Aaron, his brother and spokesman, would deliver the message. That must have raised a few eyebrows in the royal court. God saw Pharaoh in a subservient position to Moses and it was critical that Moses capture this vision of himself. He did.

Going forward there was a shift. Despite the wily actions of Pharaoh, Moses kept up the pressure. Plague after plague wreaked havoc on the Egyptians, their land, possessions and theological belief system. Pharaoh would flip flop on his word and Moses would counter with even stronger measures. From our perspective Pharaoh's behavior seems foolish. Why allow your country to be decimated?

Bottom line, it was all about power. Pharaoh was considered a god so this was primarily a spiritual battle. The plagues targeted Egypt's pantheon of gods and defined them as helpless. The final one, the death of every first born ran from the lowest hovel right up to the palace. What kind of a god can't protect his own child?

The key to this divine reversal was fresh vision and it is the same for us today. We must see our situation through God's eyes to get the real picture. The words He gives us have to be spoken out loud and their creative power released. Opposition and obstacles may not fall immediately but with persistent faith, they will.

How about you? What has God entrusted to you that is in neutral or even reverse? How will fresh vision change your mindset toward this situation? Like Moses, how can you harness the power of God-given vision and words to strengthen your resolve to see the task through to completion?