July 18, 2023 Text: Exodus 19:2-8
Dear Friends in Christ,
In the early years of my ministry and even the first few years of service here at Good Shepherd, on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day I would give sermons on mothers and fathers. That changed when attending a Pastor’s Conference and the speaker reminded us how painful a Mother’s Day message can be for the Christian woman who is not able to bear children. A great point was made. Around this same time Karson and Holden were young and I was navigating fatherhood. The danger was the Father’s Day sermon could drift off to stories about me being a father instead of where the Christian sermon needs to be: On Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen. Since then, on those days the sermon is on one of the readings and it points us to our Lord and Savior.
Today then is the challenge. It shouldn’t be about me being a dad, it will touch on the sociological data on the importance of fathers, but the real goal is to point us to God our Father. That in turn leads us to Christ and the cross. The Old Testament Lesson is the text and Moses is a type of Christ. May the Holy Spirit give heed to the words.
“BECAUSE OF THE FATHER – SPIRITUAL FATHERS”
Let’s talk sociological data. You know it, but we can all use a reminder. Fathers make a difference. For daughters they are less likely to have children out of wedlock if their father is a part of their life. For sons they are less likely to have behavior problems and be in prison if dad engages in their life. Then the biggie: both son and daughter are much more likely to be a worshipping member of Christ’s church if dad goes to worship and Bible Class. These are the facts, and they are indisputable.
Martin Luther in the Large Catechism when teaching on the 4th Commandment – honoring father and mother – said there are four types of fathers: those by blood or the biological father, the father of the household, the father of a nation and then again the biggie: a spiritual father. Luther writes, “For the name of spiritual father belongs only to those who govern and guide us by the Word of God.”
That is Moses in our text. He is a spiritual father because he is speaking the Word of God to the people. Moses is the mouthpiece for God. God has given him this authority.
That is the duty of the spiritual father. God has placed him with a great responsibility. “As the head of the family should teach them in simple way to his household.” A spiritual father is always teaching. People including his children notice how he treats his wife, others notice the interaction with his children, we all see the spiritual father with his family in worship. The spiritual father leads the family in devotions and prayers. He reminds those around him of his love. He points people to Christ in his words. “The Lord has blessed us.” “God has a plan for you.” “In Christ you are forgiven.” But this spiritual father is who he is because of THE FATHER.
Moses experienced this in his life. For his safety he was given up as a child. We don’t know of a spiritual father figure in his life. But the Lord certainly was. God THE FATHER spoke to Moses personally many, many, times. He speaks to him in our text, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (v. 4).
God THE FATHER brough the Israelites to Mount Sinai. God THE FATHER not only saved the people from Pharaoh and slavery; he also brought them to himself to enjoy his gracious presence at the holy mountain and later in the Divine Service in the tabernacle. In the same way, Christ has saved us from Pharaoh Satan’s slavery because of our sin and has brought us to himself and his gracious presence in the Divine Service in his Church.
God THE FATHER again through the Holy Spirit speaks in our text. “So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.” (v. 7) Another duty of the spiritual father: deliver the message of God to the people. Moses is a type of Christ, interceding between God and man. Moses spoke all of God’s Word to the people. He told them when they failed. He spoke to them when they disobeyed. He chastised them for their constant complaining. The Israelites acted like . . . well, children.
But this spiritual father also lifted them up. This spiritual father forgave them through God. This spiritual father realized his own weaknesses and met the people at their level. This spiritual father always kept the promise at the forefront. Moses is the Old Testament figure most spoken about in the New Testament like this from Hebrews: “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”
God THE FATHER makes His will known through Jesus the Son. Jesus knows the will of the Father and speaks with His full authority. With Jesus the Son, we are heirs of God THE FATHER. As heirs we receive forgiveness, we receive life, we receive salvation. God THE FATHER grants us grace as spiritual fathers, spiritual mothers, Christians who listen to God’s Word and through the Holy Spirit put it into practice. It is as simple as that. Everything we do flows from Christ. Look to Him . . . always look to HIM. Amen.