God Calls His Servant
Text:
Exodus 3-4
It is important to realize that the Old Testament events are pictures in "type" of things that happen and things that are happening in the lives of God's people, even today.
The Bible tells us these things:
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 [Now these things were our examples], to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
1Co 10:11 [Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come].
Those that say the New Testament church does not need the Old Testament, do not read their Bibles.
The Servant:
We know the people of Israel were shepherds up to the time of their slavery. Joseph had seen that they were fed and kept safe.
They would never have called on God until they found themselves at this time with no options. That is a sad place to be in but it is true in our day. We have to get to a place where we do not see any escape before we call on God. We have to hit "rock bottom" just to find the "Rock of our Salvation". People talk about my awesome God and put Him down around this world but at my lowest point in life He reached out to me and saved me and He will do the same for each and everyone that calls on Him.
All he asks after that is our service, not to Him, but to others who are also at their lowest point in life:
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, [that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice], holy, acceptable unto God, [which is your reasonable service].
*****Our Text:
Exo 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Exo 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Exo 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exo 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Moses had been trained to be a ruler in the government of Egypt and we can see he excelled in these things:
Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Yet where do we find him?
"Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law"
Where was this flock?
"the desert": Not a stretch of sand as we think of as an utterly barren waste, but a wild, uninhabited region.
The "backside of the desert": The same Hebrew word is rendered "wilderness," and is used of the country lying between Egypt and Palestine, the wilderness of the wanderings. It was a grazing tract, where the flocks and herds of the Israelites found pasturage during the whole of their journey to the Promised Land.
The nation of Israel were all shepherds until they entered Egypt. In Egypt they learned not to be traveling nomads but to live in a society stationary in one place. While they completed their training it was time for Moses to learn how to be a shepherd.
We already know that this is a "type of Jesus" who left the royalty and the wonders of Heaven to come to this earth to make a way for our salvation.
Moses spent 40 years learning the art of sheepherding.
For 33 years Jesus Our Lord "Gave" up Heaven and volunteered to shepherd His Fathers flock:
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
We will see as Moses will deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt but Jesus Christ delivers faithful believers in all parts of this world and in every age until He returns to gather up is family, who have been delivered from the bondage of Satan.
All the "types" of Jesus are just a shadow of the real thing. As we study the "types" of the Bible we must also realize that we do not use "types" to establish doctrine. "Typology" can only be used to illustrate what the Bible clearly teaches.
This "angel of the Lord":
This phrase is found 68 times in the Bible. It is found 19 times in the Book of Judges but only one time in the Book of Exodus in this chapter we are now in.
What is a "theophany"?
This is a physical manifestation of God. This usually refers to an appearance of Christ in human form in the Old Testament. This is a special revelation of the Lord. There are only a few that got to see God in this form where as everyone can see a general(spiritual) revelation if they only believe.
These "theophanies" prove Christ Jesus's eternal existance. A "theophany" then is the second person of the trinity (the Son) who appears in human form.
The proof lies in the reading of the scripture:
The "angel of the Lord" is recognized as deity and referred to as God:
"And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I"
This "angel of the Lord" could never be the Holy Spirit or the Father as they are never revealed in a physical form anywhere in the Bible.
The "angel of the Lord" ceases to appear after Christ is born.
Besides Moses, others also saw theophanies:
1.) Adam:
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
2.) Abraham:
Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
3.) Joshua:
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
4.) Gideon:
Jdg 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Jdg 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
5.) Daniel:
Dan 6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
Dan 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
There are others such as Jacob and more......
Moses never forgot this manifestation of Our Lord that day. Forty years later Moses had these words:
Deu 33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, [and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush]: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
God's good will for each of us is a thing to always remember:
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: [but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God].
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, [after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise].
What is that promise?
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and [he that shall come will come, and will not tarry].
and this promise:
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: [but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever].
By the way the first thing Moses did that was right was that He answered when God called him! (Exodus 3:4)
God has an all volunteer Army!
*****Our Text:
Exo 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Exo 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Exo 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exo 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exo 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
What did Jesus say about these theophanies:
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus said it was He that was this "I AM" of the Old Testament!
It is Jesus Christ the Messiah that then delivered the Nation of Israel out of bondage. They called Him Jehovah for that is also His name!
This angel appeared in a flame of fire. Fire is used as an emblem of "deity" in the Bible:
Isa 10:17 And [the light of Israel shall be for a fire], and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
Isa 10:18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
This was the symbol of the Lord's presence with this people:
Exo 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because [the LORD descended upon it in fire]: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
As we see there was not one thing more important to Moses this day as he turned to see the Lord!
What did Moses learn about God that day?
1.) We see immediately that it is God that will always reach out first.
2.) We can see that when it is this important God comes down to deliver the message Himself!
3.) We can also see God will always make sure you know that it is He that calls.
4.) We can also see that God is aware of everything that happens here on this earth.
5.) This is another reason prayer is so important!
Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
If we want our prayers to be heard then there is one more thing we must!
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
We must confess all our sin in order to be heard of God!
Once we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit then we must surrender to the will of God in order to have that perfect will of faith!
God would send a man, this time it was Moses, because God will work through mankind to have His will on this earth. God does not want a bunch of "puppets" but God does want a bunch of willingly faithful people.
Because Moses was receptive to God, God was able to speak to him!
Moses had not seen his people in forty years but he knew to lead such a large people would be a tremendous task. God had trained Moses for eighty years. God knew he was ready for this task because Moses would not be alone but God said:
"Certainly I will be with thee"
Moses questions the power of God.
We must clearly understand God!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for [he that cometh to God must believe that he is], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Moses ask:
"Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Moses had learned to be humble in the forty years he was tending sheep. Moses also knew this would be a great task for farmers and sheep herders to stand up against the Egyptian government. We have already read that Pharaoh had had these thoughts of Israel rebelling when he made slaves of them.
What we will see is that God will have His way in this world no matter what all people think. If it had not been Moses, it would have been some one else. God does not just stop if we do not want to be used of Him. Some one else will just get the blessing you could have gotten.
What is God's name?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
God said: I Am The God who has always been, am, and shall be: the God almighty, by whom all things have their being, and the God of mercy, mindful of my promise.
1. That He is self-existent: He has his being of Himself.
2. That He is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever.
3. That He is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find Him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. That He is Faithful and True to all His promises, unchangeable in His word as well as in His nature; "let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. "I am", and there is none else besides me".
Mal 3:6 For "I am" the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
When God repeats Himself here he means that there will never be a time that He is not on His throne!
We can be sure Jehovah God has not changed. He is not some old gray haired God sitting up in Heaven just waiting on us to get right.
God is just as much at work on this earth as He has always been and He has not changed His ways of salvation and never will.
There is no world church!
THERE IS ONLY THE CHURCH THAT CHRIST JESUS BUILT!
Our Text:
Exo 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exo 3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
Exo 3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exo 3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
Exo 3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
Exo 3:21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
Exo 3:22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
The Hebrew YAHWEH is the English word JEHOVAH!
He is never called the living Jehovah but always the living God. Jehovah cannot ever be conceived as other then living! So it is "Jehovah the God" or "Jehovah your God"! Jehovah is then the "only true God".
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Jehovah is a The Holy God!
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
When we continue to read of Moses and his excuses it would be good to point out that God will also use volunteers in a mighty way!
There are not many in the Bible but Isaiah was one:
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? [Then said I, Here am I; send me].
We should be more like Isaiah rather than make excuses like Moses!
As soon as Moses understood he was dealing with the Almighty God, God gave him his instructions. Moses did not have the written word of God at this time but we do!
So as soon as we know who the Almighty God is and are saved we should take Gods Word as it is written and do as He says!
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Because we do have the written Word of God!
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
God tells Moses that Pharaoh will not listen to God's Words but He will listen to God's actions!
If we consider that everything belongs to God and it does, He just allows us to use them, then for the children of Israel to borrow from the Egyptians was not like stealing. That word "borrow" in the Hebrew means to ask or to make a request. Those things were freely given to them. Verse 21 tells us that God gave them favor in site of the Egyptians which means that the Egyptian people would help these Hebrew children when it came time for them to leave.
Our Text:
Exo 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
Exo 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Exo 4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
Exo 4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
Exo 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
Exo 4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
Exo 4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
We must first know that God does not call on those He thinks will qualify to do His work but God will QUALIFY THOSE HE CALLS.
This time with Moses is a perfect picture of the patience of God.
Peter said:
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God will not just abruptly come to destroy this earth and all that live on it. God's Word will be fulfilled just as it is written. He has told us of the signs of His second coming and this is the only warning we will get.
To the church we need to know:
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
How could the church be at peace and in comfort if God's children were to be a part of His wrath.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The comfort of the church centers around the Rapture! (I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
What were the evidences of God's presence to Moses:
1.) God first changed the shepherd's rod of Moses into a serpent.
We must first realize that a sign points to a meaning beyond the sign itself. This the same for a street sign as it is for a biblical sign. we should always search for the meaning of a "sign". These signs to Moses were outward evidence of the presence of God. These signs were not for Moses but to show to the children of Israel who knew Moses was just a man and to Pharaoh who believed in sorcery.
Only God can create life:
Moses called this rod "the rod of God" after this. This is the first time we see the phrase "the rod" in the Bible but it will be use many times after this.
The "sign" of this rod was God's way of showing Moses that he would have victory over Pharaoh and the god's of Egypt.
2.) The leprous hand:
Leprosy is a slow, progressing, and was incurable in the time of the Moses. For it appear so quickly and then disappear so quickly could only have been of God.
This was a "sign" of the danger of ignoring the Word of God. Leprosy is a "type" of sin in the Bible. Only God can cleanse us of sin!
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We are the lepers of this world until we meet Jesus and are washed in His blood:
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 [In whom we have redemption through his blood], the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
3.) The water to blood:
Those on this earth that ignore the cleansing power of the "blood of Jesus" will see a lot of blood during the tribulation period. At this time of Moses, God would show Pharaoh and Egypt what he thought of their gods. The River Nile was treated as a god in Egypt because it brought life to the land so crops could be raised. This water of this river and all rivers come from the one who created all things.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And of Jesus Christ:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
When we place anything on this earth in front of Jehovah God we have made that thing a god.
The Nile was considered as divine, with life and prosperity that came from it. Step-by-step and god-by-god, The Lord God will clearly show He is the only (ONLY) living and true God even in Egypt!
Our text:
Exo 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Exo 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Exo 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
Exo 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
Exo 4:18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
What we see is that the Bible does not hide the humanity of Moses. If anything the Bible tells us that God knows all our weaknesses and yet He can use everyone He calls and everyone that volunteers.
God will never ask you to do something that you cannot do!
Moses had had five excuses and they were:
1.) He had no ability.
God tells us:
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
2.) He had no message.
God tells us:
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
3.) He had no authority.
God says:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
4.) He had no eloquence.
God says:
2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
5.) He had no inclination to do the work of God.
God says:
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Moses was reminded as we should be:
Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Who is the Creator?
Psalms 139 fits well here.
Our Text:
Exo 4:19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Exo 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Exo 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exo 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Exo 4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Exo 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
Exo 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
Exo 4:27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
Exo 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
Exo 4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
Exo 4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
Exo 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
It is important for us to have a realistic expectation about what God is doing in our lives! To have the correct "fear of the Lord" we must know that God will never do anything that is not the RIGHT THING TO DO!
God wanted Moses to know that it would be a long and difficult process but in the end Israel would be released by this Pharaoh to go to the "Promised Land". Just because we have certain skills they may not be the skills that God needs.
In fact there is only one ability that God truly needs and that is AVAILABILITY!
God wants us just as we are and He will teach us His Ways!
The Lord told Moses that all that were seeking his death were now dead themselves.
Moses had that rod that would break the pride of Pharaoh but when we go to the battle field we carry with us the "Sword of the Lord" the pure Word of God.
When Moses gave in to the work of the Lord, he had to return that flock of sheep home to his father-n-law. He then out of respect for this man, Moses asked for his permission as was the custom of this time in the Near East.
When the phrase "harden his heart" is used we can see that the Lord applied pressure to this Pharaoh to make decisions. God was squeezing his heart forcing him to respond. As supreme leader of the Egyptians Pharaoh certainly did not have to respond to any outsider to his nation.
God knew what answers would come from this Monarch but it was Pharaoh that made those decisions. All the writers of the Old Testament understood this. It is only mankind in our modern societies that are confused about these passages.
God was laying the foundation for His final plague, the death of the "first born son". This is also the first time in the Bible where Israel is mentioned as the first born son of God.
In the days of Moses no one believed that gods had to be "Just". Nor does any false religion teach this of their false gods but Moses was being taught that Jehovah God was a "just" God.
Moses later wrote:
Deu 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: [a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he].
Once Moses yielded to the work of the Lord, he should have gotten his own house in order. God was fulfilling the promised covenant of Abraham and God had given Abraham a sign of this covenant.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Gen 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Gen 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
We can be sure that circumcision was not a thing that the religion of Jethro honored but God was not going to allow Moses to lead His people without first being obedient to the Word of God.
The Bible says:
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
The House of Israel could not be built if God's man did not honor His Word:
Jesus said:
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
It is Zipporah that takes drastic action to save her son though she did not understand why, she just responded like many today that it must be a bloody religion but we know the truth. This covenant with Abraham must be kept at this time.
But to that lost person and to all believers the Bible says:
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
When they met Moses told Aaron of God's Word. Upon arriving back in Egypt the elders were gathered and Aaron spoke all these things to them while they were also showed the signs given to Moses.
This would always be the case with Israel:
Paul wrote:
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 [For the Jews require a sign], and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The people of Israel may have thought that God had forgotten them but suddenly they had heard from Him. God knows all our sufferings and will alway do something about them.
In spite of Moses responding so slowly to the call of the Lord, he went in faith to challenge the government and the military structures of the most powerful nation on earth at this time.
We can search hard but as Christians we have no excuses for not answering the call of God!
The Bible still says:
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: [because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world].
Let's Pray!
Text:
Exodus 3-4
It is important to realize that the Old Testament events are pictures in "type" of things that happen and things that are happening in the lives of God's people, even today.
The Bible tells us these things:
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 [Now these things were our examples], to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
1Co 10:11 [Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come].
Those that say the New Testament church does not need the Old Testament, do not read their Bibles.
The Servant:
We know the people of Israel were shepherds up to the time of their slavery. Joseph had seen that they were fed and kept safe.
They would never have called on God until they found themselves at this time with no options. That is a sad place to be in but it is true in our day. We have to get to a place where we do not see any escape before we call on God. We have to hit "rock bottom" just to find the "Rock of our Salvation". People talk about my awesome God and put Him down around this world but at my lowest point in life He reached out to me and saved me and He will do the same for each and everyone that calls on Him.
All he asks after that is our service, not to Him, but to others who are also at their lowest point in life:
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, [that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice], holy, acceptable unto God, [which is your reasonable service].
*****Our Text:
Exo 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Exo 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Exo 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exo 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Moses had been trained to be a ruler in the government of Egypt and we can see he excelled in these things:
Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Yet where do we find him?
"Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law"
Where was this flock?
"the desert": Not a stretch of sand as we think of as an utterly barren waste, but a wild, uninhabited region.
The "backside of the desert": The same Hebrew word is rendered "wilderness," and is used of the country lying between Egypt and Palestine, the wilderness of the wanderings. It was a grazing tract, where the flocks and herds of the Israelites found pasturage during the whole of their journey to the Promised Land.
The nation of Israel were all shepherds until they entered Egypt. In Egypt they learned not to be traveling nomads but to live in a society stationary in one place. While they completed their training it was time for Moses to learn how to be a shepherd.
We already know that this is a "type of Jesus" who left the royalty and the wonders of Heaven to come to this earth to make a way for our salvation.
Moses spent 40 years learning the art of sheepherding.
For 33 years Jesus Our Lord "Gave" up Heaven and volunteered to shepherd His Fathers flock:
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
We will see as Moses will deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt but Jesus Christ delivers faithful believers in all parts of this world and in every age until He returns to gather up is family, who have been delivered from the bondage of Satan.
All the "types" of Jesus are just a shadow of the real thing. As we study the "types" of the Bible we must also realize that we do not use "types" to establish doctrine. "Typology" can only be used to illustrate what the Bible clearly teaches.
This "angel of the Lord":
This phrase is found 68 times in the Bible. It is found 19 times in the Book of Judges but only one time in the Book of Exodus in this chapter we are now in.
What is a "theophany"?
This is a physical manifestation of God. This usually refers to an appearance of Christ in human form in the Old Testament. This is a special revelation of the Lord. There are only a few that got to see God in this form where as everyone can see a general(spiritual) revelation if they only believe.
These "theophanies" prove Christ Jesus's eternal existance. A "theophany" then is the second person of the trinity (the Son) who appears in human form.
The proof lies in the reading of the scripture:
The "angel of the Lord" is recognized as deity and referred to as God:
"And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I"
This "angel of the Lord" could never be the Holy Spirit or the Father as they are never revealed in a physical form anywhere in the Bible.
The "angel of the Lord" ceases to appear after Christ is born.
Besides Moses, others also saw theophanies:
1.) Adam:
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
2.) Abraham:
Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
3.) Joshua:
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
4.) Gideon:
Jdg 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Jdg 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
5.) Daniel:
Dan 6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
Dan 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
There are others such as Jacob and more......
Moses never forgot this manifestation of Our Lord that day. Forty years later Moses had these words:
Deu 33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, [and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush]: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
God's good will for each of us is a thing to always remember:
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: [but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God].
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, [after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise].
What is that promise?
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and [he that shall come will come, and will not tarry].
and this promise:
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: [but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever].
By the way the first thing Moses did that was right was that He answered when God called him! (Exodus 3:4)
God has an all volunteer Army!
*****Our Text:
Exo 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Exo 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Exo 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exo 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exo 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
What did Jesus say about these theophanies:
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus said it was He that was this "I AM" of the Old Testament!
It is Jesus Christ the Messiah that then delivered the Nation of Israel out of bondage. They called Him Jehovah for that is also His name!
This angel appeared in a flame of fire. Fire is used as an emblem of "deity" in the Bible:
Isa 10:17 And [the light of Israel shall be for a fire], and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
Isa 10:18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
This was the symbol of the Lord's presence with this people:
Exo 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because [the LORD descended upon it in fire]: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
As we see there was not one thing more important to Moses this day as he turned to see the Lord!
What did Moses learn about God that day?
1.) We see immediately that it is God that will always reach out first.
2.) We can see that when it is this important God comes down to deliver the message Himself!
3.) We can also see God will always make sure you know that it is He that calls.
4.) We can also see that God is aware of everything that happens here on this earth.
5.) This is another reason prayer is so important!
Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
If we want our prayers to be heard then there is one more thing we must!
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
We must confess all our sin in order to be heard of God!
Once we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit then we must surrender to the will of God in order to have that perfect will of faith!
God would send a man, this time it was Moses, because God will work through mankind to have His will on this earth. God does not want a bunch of "puppets" but God does want a bunch of willingly faithful people.
Because Moses was receptive to God, God was able to speak to him!
Moses had not seen his people in forty years but he knew to lead such a large people would be a tremendous task. God had trained Moses for eighty years. God knew he was ready for this task because Moses would not be alone but God said:
"Certainly I will be with thee"
Moses questions the power of God.
We must clearly understand God!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for [he that cometh to God must believe that he is], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Moses ask:
"Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Moses had learned to be humble in the forty years he was tending sheep. Moses also knew this would be a great task for farmers and sheep herders to stand up against the Egyptian government. We have already read that Pharaoh had had these thoughts of Israel rebelling when he made slaves of them.
What we will see is that God will have His way in this world no matter what all people think. If it had not been Moses, it would have been some one else. God does not just stop if we do not want to be used of Him. Some one else will just get the blessing you could have gotten.
What is God's name?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
God said: I Am The God who has always been, am, and shall be: the God almighty, by whom all things have their being, and the God of mercy, mindful of my promise.
1. That He is self-existent: He has his being of Himself.
2. That He is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever.
3. That He is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find Him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. That He is Faithful and True to all His promises, unchangeable in His word as well as in His nature; "let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. "I am", and there is none else besides me".
Mal 3:6 For "I am" the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
When God repeats Himself here he means that there will never be a time that He is not on His throne!
We can be sure Jehovah God has not changed. He is not some old gray haired God sitting up in Heaven just waiting on us to get right.
God is just as much at work on this earth as He has always been and He has not changed His ways of salvation and never will.
There is no world church!
THERE IS ONLY THE CHURCH THAT CHRIST JESUS BUILT!
Our Text:
Exo 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exo 3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
Exo 3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exo 3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
Exo 3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
Exo 3:21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
Exo 3:22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
The Hebrew YAHWEH is the English word JEHOVAH!
He is never called the living Jehovah but always the living God. Jehovah cannot ever be conceived as other then living! So it is "Jehovah the God" or "Jehovah your God"! Jehovah is then the "only true God".
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Jehovah is a The Holy God!
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
When we continue to read of Moses and his excuses it would be good to point out that God will also use volunteers in a mighty way!
There are not many in the Bible but Isaiah was one:
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? [Then said I, Here am I; send me].
We should be more like Isaiah rather than make excuses like Moses!
As soon as Moses understood he was dealing with the Almighty God, God gave him his instructions. Moses did not have the written word of God at this time but we do!
So as soon as we know who the Almighty God is and are saved we should take Gods Word as it is written and do as He says!
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Because we do have the written Word of God!
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
God tells Moses that Pharaoh will not listen to God's Words but He will listen to God's actions!
If we consider that everything belongs to God and it does, He just allows us to use them, then for the children of Israel to borrow from the Egyptians was not like stealing. That word "borrow" in the Hebrew means to ask or to make a request. Those things were freely given to them. Verse 21 tells us that God gave them favor in site of the Egyptians which means that the Egyptian people would help these Hebrew children when it came time for them to leave.
Our Text:
Exo 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
Exo 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Exo 4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
Exo 4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
Exo 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
Exo 4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
Exo 4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
We must first know that God does not call on those He thinks will qualify to do His work but God will QUALIFY THOSE HE CALLS.
This time with Moses is a perfect picture of the patience of God.
Peter said:
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God will not just abruptly come to destroy this earth and all that live on it. God's Word will be fulfilled just as it is written. He has told us of the signs of His second coming and this is the only warning we will get.
To the church we need to know:
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
How could the church be at peace and in comfort if God's children were to be a part of His wrath.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The comfort of the church centers around the Rapture! (I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
What were the evidences of God's presence to Moses:
1.) God first changed the shepherd's rod of Moses into a serpent.
We must first realize that a sign points to a meaning beyond the sign itself. This the same for a street sign as it is for a biblical sign. we should always search for the meaning of a "sign". These signs to Moses were outward evidence of the presence of God. These signs were not for Moses but to show to the children of Israel who knew Moses was just a man and to Pharaoh who believed in sorcery.
Only God can create life:
Moses called this rod "the rod of God" after this. This is the first time we see the phrase "the rod" in the Bible but it will be use many times after this.
The "sign" of this rod was God's way of showing Moses that he would have victory over Pharaoh and the god's of Egypt.
2.) The leprous hand:
Leprosy is a slow, progressing, and was incurable in the time of the Moses. For it appear so quickly and then disappear so quickly could only have been of God.
This was a "sign" of the danger of ignoring the Word of God. Leprosy is a "type" of sin in the Bible. Only God can cleanse us of sin!
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We are the lepers of this world until we meet Jesus and are washed in His blood:
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 [In whom we have redemption through his blood], the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
3.) The water to blood:
Those on this earth that ignore the cleansing power of the "blood of Jesus" will see a lot of blood during the tribulation period. At this time of Moses, God would show Pharaoh and Egypt what he thought of their gods. The River Nile was treated as a god in Egypt because it brought life to the land so crops could be raised. This water of this river and all rivers come from the one who created all things.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And of Jesus Christ:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
When we place anything on this earth in front of Jehovah God we have made that thing a god.
The Nile was considered as divine, with life and prosperity that came from it. Step-by-step and god-by-god, The Lord God will clearly show He is the only (ONLY) living and true God even in Egypt!
Our text:
Exo 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Exo 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Exo 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
Exo 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
Exo 4:18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
What we see is that the Bible does not hide the humanity of Moses. If anything the Bible tells us that God knows all our weaknesses and yet He can use everyone He calls and everyone that volunteers.
God will never ask you to do something that you cannot do!
Moses had had five excuses and they were:
1.) He had no ability.
God tells us:
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
2.) He had no message.
God tells us:
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
3.) He had no authority.
God says:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
4.) He had no eloquence.
God says:
2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
5.) He had no inclination to do the work of God.
God says:
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Moses was reminded as we should be:
Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Who is the Creator?
Psalms 139 fits well here.
Our Text:
Exo 4:19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Exo 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Exo 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exo 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Exo 4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Exo 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
Exo 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
Exo 4:27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
Exo 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
Exo 4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
Exo 4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
Exo 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
It is important for us to have a realistic expectation about what God is doing in our lives! To have the correct "fear of the Lord" we must know that God will never do anything that is not the RIGHT THING TO DO!
God wanted Moses to know that it would be a long and difficult process but in the end Israel would be released by this Pharaoh to go to the "Promised Land". Just because we have certain skills they may not be the skills that God needs.
In fact there is only one ability that God truly needs and that is AVAILABILITY!
God wants us just as we are and He will teach us His Ways!
The Lord told Moses that all that were seeking his death were now dead themselves.
Moses had that rod that would break the pride of Pharaoh but when we go to the battle field we carry with us the "Sword of the Lord" the pure Word of God.
When Moses gave in to the work of the Lord, he had to return that flock of sheep home to his father-n-law. He then out of respect for this man, Moses asked for his permission as was the custom of this time in the Near East.
When the phrase "harden his heart" is used we can see that the Lord applied pressure to this Pharaoh to make decisions. God was squeezing his heart forcing him to respond. As supreme leader of the Egyptians Pharaoh certainly did not have to respond to any outsider to his nation.
God knew what answers would come from this Monarch but it was Pharaoh that made those decisions. All the writers of the Old Testament understood this. It is only mankind in our modern societies that are confused about these passages.
God was laying the foundation for His final plague, the death of the "first born son". This is also the first time in the Bible where Israel is mentioned as the first born son of God.
In the days of Moses no one believed that gods had to be "Just". Nor does any false religion teach this of their false gods but Moses was being taught that Jehovah God was a "just" God.
Moses later wrote:
Deu 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: [a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he].
Once Moses yielded to the work of the Lord, he should have gotten his own house in order. God was fulfilling the promised covenant of Abraham and God had given Abraham a sign of this covenant.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Gen 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Gen 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
We can be sure that circumcision was not a thing that the religion of Jethro honored but God was not going to allow Moses to lead His people without first being obedient to the Word of God.
The Bible says:
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
The House of Israel could not be built if God's man did not honor His Word:
Jesus said:
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
It is Zipporah that takes drastic action to save her son though she did not understand why, she just responded like many today that it must be a bloody religion but we know the truth. This covenant with Abraham must be kept at this time.
But to that lost person and to all believers the Bible says:
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
When they met Moses told Aaron of God's Word. Upon arriving back in Egypt the elders were gathered and Aaron spoke all these things to them while they were also showed the signs given to Moses.
This would always be the case with Israel:
Paul wrote:
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 [For the Jews require a sign], and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The people of Israel may have thought that God had forgotten them but suddenly they had heard from Him. God knows all our sufferings and will alway do something about them.
In spite of Moses responding so slowly to the call of the Lord, he went in faith to challenge the government and the military structures of the most powerful nation on earth at this time.
We can search hard but as Christians we have no excuses for not answering the call of God!
The Bible still says:
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: [because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world].
Let's Pray!
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