"Fear God, Love God, Serve God": "Destined Babies"

"And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash
herself at the river; and her maidens walked along
by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among
the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it."
(Exodus 2:5)

Pharaoh's plan was to destroy Israel, but Pharaoh's own daughter took pity on this lone Hebrew baby, and unknown to her, she preserved Israel's deliverer! Mama's: Who and what will your babies grow up to become? We can scan through the pages of history and the light of the page always falls on that mother, that grandmother, or great grandmother ... Moses' mother put him in the river to save his life, but she followed close and then made herself available to nurse her own baby, when the daughter of Pharaoh went looking for a nursemaid. It was a brilliant and prophetic plan for the life of Moses. He never forgot the Hebrew morals and Hebrew "character," even though he grew up in a palace of plenty. His roots stayed with him all the days of his life, and groomed him for his eventual destiny. His Mama, in the short time she had to nurse him before giving him back to Pharaoh's daughter, made sure Moses knew who he was ...

Moses, The Deliverer

From a baby set afloat alone in a river to a Prophetic Deliverer of the people of Israel, so was Moses. He was a baby destined for greatness, a child born with purpose in his soul, an infant chosen for one of the greatest of God's plans. The bulrushes couldn't hold him; the palace couldn't change him; Pharoah couldn't stop him; 40 years in the desert didn't deter him ... Mama, you saved one little life, who saved thousands of lives, and an entire Nation ...

Hannah bringing Samuel to the Temple

Hannah was barren and her soul ached for a child; one year when she and her husband, Elkanah, went to Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices, Hannah prayed the prayer of her life:

"And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the

Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and

said, 'O Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the

affliction of Your maidservant and remember me,

and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your

maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the

Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come

upon his head." (I Samuel 1:10-11)

Hannah wanted a baby; God wanted a Prophet! Eli, the Priest, observed Hannah's distraught behavior, thought she was drunk, and rebuked her. But, she explained she wasn't drunk but was pouring out her heart to the Lord; so Eli said, "Go in peace and God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him." It's awesome enough to pray in sincerity and unflinching belief, but it's also awesome to have a Prophetic man of God who can speak the Word of God into existence in our lives.

Hannah left the temple no longer in the state in which she came, sad, because the Bible says she didn't doubt, she believed! If we're gonna' pray, we better best well "believe" what we have prayed, otherwise, why do it? God granted her request, and she had a son, whom she named Samuel. Hannah honored her vow to the Lord and when Samuel was weaned, she took him to the temple and entrusted him into the hands of Eli, the priest. In desperate times, we sometimes makes desperate vows in prayer, God remembers those vows ... And, know this ... He expects reciprocation ...

The Prophet Samuel

Samuel, the Prophet, was one of honor and intercessory prayer. He stood firm for the Word of God, as evidenced of his execution of Agag. From his lips came the words, oft quoted by the people of God, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of lambs." (I Samuel 15:22) Oh, Mama Hannah, your Samuel was one of the few almost blameless characters of the Bible.

During this time, in which Samuel lived, the Bible states, "And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." C. Knapp states it like this: "No open vision" means there was no public revelation of God's will concerning His people; no open manifestation of His mind, either by dreams or prophet, or by Urim and Thummim." A spiritual famine prevailed, not of bread, but of the Word of God. Matthew Henry states, "Perhaps the impiety and impurity that prevailed in the Tabernacle, and no doubt corrupted the whole nation, so provoked God that as a token of His displeasure, He withdrew the Spirit of prophecy, till the decree had gone forth for the raising up of a more faithful priest; and then, as an earnest of that, this faithful prophet was raised up."

When God is silent, it's time to fall on the knees. You say, "But, I pray and I don't hear Him." I would ask, "Have you received the Holy Ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues? It is not an audible voice that we hear, although it can be; it is God's Spirit within us, speaking to our spirits ... It's an unction, a divine inclination, a spiritual perception ... The Lord said that His sheep hear Him and know His voice.

The Prophet Samuel heard the Lord calling him, and to him it was an audible voice, because he went three times, at his young age, to Eli the priest, because he thought it was Eli calling for him. The priest finally discerned that it was God calling the lad, and Eli told Samuel that the next time he heard the voice, he should say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." A wonderful prayer for us today: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."

Shepherds told of coming Messiah

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Finally, we have a baby born who never calls his mother, "Mommy, Mom, Mama, or Mother." Scripture states, when Jesus was grown, that he referred to her as "Woman." You say, "That sounds a little cruel." No, He was "her" Savior, as well! She gave birth to God, and His role was always understood in her life; she provided her womb, and He came forth to be who He was, God manifested in the flesh. Mama, He was your baby to you, but also your Redeemer, your Lord and King, your God! And, He grew to perform His destiny ...

Jesus, at 12, preaching in the Temple

Jesus, healing the blind

Jesus, washing the disciples' feet

Jesus, Crucified

The Lord Jesus Christ did what He came to do; He became the blood sacrifice for all the world, the redemption for mankind, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world ... our Savior and God, the baby who lit up the sky with His arrival, who sent kings to their knees in worship, who was Word and became flesh, who healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, and spoke not a word in His own trial, because He willingly gave His life ... that we might have eternal life ... with Him.

Mama, you know now, and you knew then; He was a

"Destined Baby"