The Prophet Of Antiquity Part Two

By Michael Plemmons

  The Spirit of the Lord awakened me early this morning with a hunger to pray. My heart was torn by the things I saw happening in our world today. I also longed for a chance to be led of the Lord in the purpose he had for my life. All at once I was caught up in the Spirit once more and found myself with the prophet of antiquity once more.

 My companion and I left the lodge far behind us and entered the forest behind the lodge. We traveled in comparative silence he was I was beginning to realize a man of few words. I was lost in thought as we began this journey headed to God knows where. The trees were like giant sentinels their branches reaching far above us all awash in green layered with multi colored flowers in the branches and were all around us.

 My heart was all ablaze as I contemplated all that I had already seen mixed with reverential awe of what lay ahead. I felt in my heart that I knew the identity of this man of God. I wondered if I should ask him his name or if I should ask if my discernment was accurate.

 He stopped and looked at me and with his eyes full of the gentle nature I was beginning to love him for said, “ It is as you know it to be I am Moses the lawgiver as I am known here. I told him I had never been around any one quite like him. His manner and dress were simple, his disposition gentle and meek, yet the aura of his anointing was intensely powerful different and more intense than any human I had ever been around. I found myself feeling extreme loyalty to him and yet being awed by the intensity of his anointing.

   Moses began to speak as we side by side continued our journey. “I was a prince of Egypt, reared in Pharaohs house. All around me even my own Egyptian mother was subservient to me. I had the call of God on my life from the beginning and had an intense love for my people.

 I felt I was destined for some great thing. I longed for the day when I could free my people. I rose through the ranks of Pharaohs sons for Gods presence was always with me. My heart was awash in the belief in my own greatness. My pride was only eclipsed by the depth of my own arrogance. I began to believe in my almost supernatural ability to succeed. I knew some how that I was destined for some great purpose, and had no doubts of my ability or the heights I was destined to climb.

  This led to military victories as the captain of Pharaohs host. Yes I thought nothing to great for me to reach for. I would by my own hand walk into the place God intended for me.”

  At this moment we entered a clearing in the woods and saw a fountain of living water that we at once went over to. Moses reached in with a cup and passed it to me and I drank with deep contentment and joy. I passed it back to him and he drank also. He then pulled from a pouch some bread and passed it to me after having first prayed a blessing over it and passed it to me. As we ate he continued his discourse.

   “The word says pride goes before a fall and never was this more readily displayed than in the blind arrogance of my youth. Michael avoid pride at all costs. Its destructive ability did two things in me. It was a stumbling block to Gods ability to speak clearly to my own heart. It also twice rose up and by its operation twice cost me dearly.

  The first time was when I was forced to leave Egypt for killing an Egyptian. It was not merely because he was beating a Hebrew slave! I was a prince of Egypt.  All I had to do was order the Egyptian to stop beating him and he would have. No I was the mighty Moses and it mattered not I could take his life I thought with little or no consequence to me.

  The second time pride reared its head was when I disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock. Both times I got ahead of the Lord and each carried a penalty for doing so. No one has ever made the connection that these two events had in my life. The children of Israel disobeyed the Lord and spent 40 years wondering the desert.

  I in my pride sinned not once but twice before the Lord and each time spent 40 yrs wondering the desert. The first time I left Egypt I spent 40 yrs tending sheep with Jethro and after I struck the rock I like the others also spent 40 yrs wondering the desert. Two acts of pride cost me 80 yrs of my life.”

   Moses stopped and looked at me soberly.  “So learn a lesson son from me. Do not take lightly this call of God on your life. The consequences can be dreadful.”

With this we got up and continued our journey. I was silent in contemplation of the great truths he had taught me this day.

   As the vision ended I was sobered by what I had learned today. Pride and arrogance will lead the heart astray. Moses knew he had a call on his life and yet his prideful heart got ahead of God. It would not be by a king’s scepter that Israel would be freed, but rather by the staff of a shepherd.