-A Local Missionary’s Reflection-

The Book of Exodus in the Old Testament begins with the story of Jacob’s sons, who migrated from Canaan to Egypt due to famine and settled there for a long time. Over the many years of slavery, the Israelites lost their identity as God’s people and became slaves to the world, oppressed by the rule of the empire. When they were on the verge of forgetting “Who am I? Who are we as a people?”, God, as promised, called the Israelites out of Egypt, out of the darkness, and restored them as His army (Exodus 12:41).

At the center of this great work of God was ‘Moses, the servant of God.’ Just as his name means, Moses led the Israelites out of darkness, out of long years of slavery, and guided them into God’s covenant and history.

When they left behind the life in Egypt and entered the wilderness, the Israelites found themselves in a barren land with scorching heat, extreme thirst, and no home or food. In this difficult environment, they repeatedly blamed Moses, asking to return to Egypt. They cursed and criticized Moses as if he were their enemy who had led them to their doom. Yet, in the long and arduous journey of the Exodus, God spoke about Moses’ life in this way:

Numbers 12:6-7
6 “Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.”

Moses was faithful to God’s house throughout his entire life. From his birth and growth, through the 40 years in the wilderness of Midian, to the time spent with the Israelites in the wilderness, and even to his death—all these moments were dedicated to God’s house and His kingdom. As God saw this, He declared Moses a man faithful to His house, the meekest man on the face of the earth.

When we think of the wilderness in the Bible, many events and characters come to mind, but Moses is one of the most inseparable figures from the wilderness. Leading the Israelites through the scorching heat and hardships of the desert was an unimaginable burden for Moses. He had to face each day not knowing what lay ahead, endure the complaints and curses of the people, and deal with countless judgments and disputes.

As I serve the church planted in the mission field and deeply engage with the lives of the local brothers and sisters, I sometimes face their weaknesses and sins. When I confront these realities, I feel anger, frustration, and at times, the desire to turn away. Misunderstandings arise from differences, leading to hatred, quarreling, and failure to love one another. The scars and pain they received growing up, along with political, religious, ethnic conflicts, and even death—all these challenges often leave me wondering how to preach the gospel of Jesus to them.
When I see brothers and sisters who don’t seem to change even after much time has passed, I feel anxious, wondering, “Am I doing something wrong?”, and I often experience a sense of failure and discouragement.

Philippians 1:6
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

However, despite the slow progress, I believe that God, who began His work, will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
When I look at the lives of the local brothers and sisters, I see that the spiritual soil of the nation, their backgrounds, and numerous scars and darkness, like thorns and weeds, seem to obscure their hearts and minds from seeing the light of Jesus. It seems that it will require patience and effort to remove all these thorns, to pull out the weeds. Even if it takes a long time, I believe that those who labor with perseverance, those who sow in tears, will surely experience the joy of the harvest, the joy of saving souls.

Even when nothing was visible in the difficulties of the wilderness, Moses looked only to God and faithfully fulfilled the mission given to him. During the 40 years in the wilderness, Moses patiently and faithfully led the Israelites, helping them abandon the mindset, habits, and ways of life they had known as slaves, so they could become God’s people, the army of the LORD.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2
“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Even today, God is seeking those who will be faithful to His kingdom. He is looking for those who will share Christ’s love and serve the suffering nations, and for those like Moses who will share God’s love and word with countless souls who do not know who they are or what they are living for. I hope that our lives, like Moses’, will lead all lost and wandering people in the wilderness to the Lord.

Just as God transformed the Israelites from slaves in Egypt into the army of the LORD, I believe He will restore the Palestinian people and all nations to become the army of the LORD, God’s holy people, through our lives.