Blue Umbrella Official BU October 2019 | Page 12

12 · F E A T U R E S 13 Wh a t We C a n L ea r n Fr o m M os es 1.Never m ak e excu ses t o God. Moses made two excuses, both of which are found in the fourth chapter of Exodus. One of these verses goes as follow, ?Moses answered, ?What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ?The Lord did not appear to you??? (Exodus 4:1).God always chooses us to do something for a reason; He wanted Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The second excuse Moses made is found in Exodus 4:10 which says, ?Moses said to the Lord, ?Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.? There is no excuse to keep you from doing something God wants you to do. It is always better to trust Him, and to do His bidding! 2.Never be af r aid. Moses was afraid to go into Egypt and to lead the people out. God promises to be with us wherever we go, no matter what. There is never a reason to be afraid, even though being F E A T By Sabr in a B. By Rebecca G. Moses was the man chosen for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Protected by God since his infancy, he experienced numerous miracles and trials, resulting in several lessons for not just him, but also for us to learn from. Oct ober 18t h 1867: Alaska Becomes a St at e · U afraid is normal and part of being human. Moses was afraid of talking to Pharaohand telling him what God said, but that was unnecessary, for God was with him, just as He promised. 3.Obey God?s com m an ds. Even though Moses was afraid to go into Egypt, he still obeyed God. This goes back to the first lesson we can learn: We shouldn?t make excuses;instead we should obey God. No matter how hard it is, we should listen to God?s command. He wants us to obey Him, all of the time, no matter what happens as a result of our obedience! 4.Be an gr y, bu t do n ot sin . Moses got angry at an Egyptian for beating a slave. He became so angry he killed the Egyptian! Then, out of fear, he hid, knowing that he did something terribly wrong. The next time when he got angry was when he realized that the Israelites had created an idol while he was away. He became so angry that he broke the tablets that God gave him. It is okay to be angry, but don?t do something that causes you to sin. On October 18th, 1867, the United States got the deal of a lifetime. The U.S. finalized the purchase the Alaskan territory for $7.2 million or 2 cents an acre, from Russia. In today's dollars,that would cost them about $124 million or only 50 cents an acre. According to The Alaskan Office of the Historian, in the 1800s, the U.S. continued their expansion westward. During that time, the U.S. was also in competition with Russian explorers. The Russian government wanted to sell Alaska because they needed funds after the Crimean Wars. Meanwhile, less than 400 Russian citizens were living in the territory and Russia feared they might lose Alaska in a battle to the British, according to an article on history.com. U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward offered to purchase the territory. The talks started in March of 1867. After the purchase was finalized, the public thought that buying Alaska to be a bad idea for the United States to make. The American people called it ?Seward?s Folly,? ?Andrew Johnson?s Polar Bear Garden,? and ?Seward?s Icebox,?but when gold was found in Alaska in 1880, public opinion quickly changed. Alaska celebrates its beginnings twice a year. The first time is in March on Seward?s Day, the last Monday in March. This is to remember the signing of a treaty between the Russians and the Americans. The second time is to remember when the Alaska purchase was finalized on October 18th. R E S