God Remembers His Covenant
Exodus Chapters 5, 6
We have seen that even before Moses was born God had a plan to use him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. We have seen that God has patiently trained Moses for 80 years. This was not because God needed this but it was Moses that had needed this time in his life to reach a point where he understood the Words and the Work of God.
God had heard the cries of His children. God had prepared His deliverer. It was now time for the doing of it.
We should have the correct understanding of a Pharaoh. The title "Pharaoh" means "great house". The Egyptians applied this title to their kings going back to about 1500 BC. These Pharaohs were absolute monarchy and considered to be gods by the people of Egypt. These Egyptians had many gods but not one of them had any power until the existing Pharaoh prayed to them to give them this power. For instance, "Ra" the sun god had no power until a Pharaoh woke him up with a morning ritual and prayer. We can see how arrogant this could be.
I think we have men, especially in America but throughout this world, that believe the world would end without their knowledge and their means, as they are also full of such arrogance.
Jesus said to Pilate:
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And Paul added:
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
God always knows the situations of all His people. Their deliverance from Egypt was already in progress. God had chosen His man through which these things would be accomplished. Moses would communicate the "will" of God to these people.
We now have the written Word of God that communicates "His will" to us and we are expected to obey.
The Bible says:
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: [for this is the whole duty of man].
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Moses became the hero of Israel so much so that God would not allow the place of his burial to be known as many of Israel would have tried to make a god out of Moses. Satan knew this and tried to take advantage of this.
The Bible says:
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
The Bible proves that God works through those He calls. We should hang our head in shame when we know God has called on us to do something but we have refused. God's plan does not stop as He will always choose and call some one else.
The Apostle Paul knew this to be true:
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Co 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
Jesus tells us:
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
God is pleased with those that serve where they are called:
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
God always keeps His word now we will see how these things unfold.
*****Our Text:
Exo 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
Exo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Exo 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Moses introduces the God of Israel to Pharaoh. Pharaoh would not accept that such a people as slaves could have much of a god. He simply would not consider this as fact and he would not be impressed very easily. Remember Pharaoh considered himself a god. It took a lot of courage for Moses and Aaron to stand before such a cruel and heartless man as this king.
He says:
"Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go"
When we see the word "LORD" with all capitol letters in the Bible(KJV), we can be sure that Moses had said Jehovah(Yahweh).
The meaning of the word Jehovah is "the unchanging, eternal, self-existent God," the "I am that I am," a covenant-keeping God.
Pharaoh had never heard of such a god but he would soon know Him very well!
Moses immediately tried a different approach by saying:
"The God of the Hebrews"
This title would mean "The Elohim of the Hebrews" for Israel was not a nation in the eyes of Pharaoh. Moses made this king aware that this Elohim was the supreme and the only God of the Hebrew nation.
Pharaoh reacted to this by showing who had the real power over the Hebrews. He made them work even harder an in more harsh conditions.
God had told Moses that these things would happen and Moses was not surprised by the actions of this king.
We should understand, when we serve the Lord Jesus, we will not be treated much different than how the world treated Him.
God was gracious in extending this opportunity to this king but when God's "grace" is refused, the only thing left is the "judgment" of God.
God will accomplish His will in the face of all opposition.
A real example of this is to reach down and pluck a sinner out of his road to Hell and through His "grace" save a lost soul. Our strength being made perfect in weakness!
Most people besides the Atheists and the Muslim, believe that people should have freedom of religion, a freedom to worship the god of their choice. It was a perfectly reasonable for Moses to ask Pharaoh for permission to do so. With this denial by this king it opened the door for the return of the "Living God" to exact His own punishment at His own will.
Notice it is Jehovah God who chose this battle. This battle would not only be to redeem God's people from bondage. It was not fought only for Israel to possess the "promised land" but it was fought so Israel could dwell in God's Tabernacle! Israel was redeemed to be God's People!
As this Pharaoh was saying these people were his, God was saying these people are Mine! Israel would not have existed without God's deliverance from Egypt! This conflict was waged over the destiny of a race of people.
Can we not see that as Christians we can see a "type" in this of the conflict that Jesus is waging over the destiny of the Church and the lost who are in the bondage of Satan the Devil.
*****Our text:
Exo 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
Exo 5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Exo 5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
Exo 5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Exo 5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
Exo 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Exo 5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
Exo 5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
Exo 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
Exo 5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
Exo 5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
Exo 5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
Exo 5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
Exo 5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
Exo 5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
Exo 5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
This Pharaoh then ask Moses and Aaron who gave them the authority to stop the work of the slaves. It seems clear that this king had heard of the conference which Moses had held with the elders of Israel. He had probably even heard of the signs God had given to Moses to show these people. (The rod and the leprous hand). These children of Israel may have even gotten lax in their work expecting God to move quickly to free them.
We can see in "type" that this has some resemblance of the time of Jesus when certain people expected Him to sit on the throne as King and destroy the Roman power. God would do this to the nation of Egypt but this king would first be humbled.
This Pharaoh said:
"get you unto your burdens"
Pharaoh then increased that burden on Israel.
These handmade bricks used in construction were made of clay moistened with water and mixed with chopped straw. These were different from oven baked brick. For those that do not know the quality of this material, the evidence of it can still be seen in Egypt in many pyramids that were built with this material and still stand the test of time.
To add the task of gathering this straw(probably chopped barley and wheat) and deliver it to the place of the clay and water added tremendous burden to these Hebrew.
If the quota was not met then the elders of Israel were beaten and we know the purpose of this was to make these elders ignore the Word of God. You see Moses had God's Word and it was time for these Hebrew to place their "faith" in God and not in the world. They would receive no mercy from the world.
Only God has "Mercy" and thus "Grace".
Satan will never cease to oppress and will always make things harder for the child of God!
The Bible says:
Pro 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Pro 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Pro 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: [but the way of transgressors is hard].
Pharaoh had twisted God's Word to mean that the these children of the Most High God just wanted to go and worship a god. This has never been the truth!
The pure fact is the it is Jehovah God that made the request and not the people!
Once we are redeemed we should want to assemble in the House of God!
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
But while we were lost we did not want to assemble, it was God who requests us to come to a house with His name on it. It was God who reached out to the children of Israel! Moses had God's message, not his own.
Any true Pastor or Preacher should be preaching God's message not their own!
We can see that these elders of Israel held true to form when they went to Pharaoh to plead their case instead of going to God who is in control of all things.
If they expected this king to have pity, then they were most disappointed.
We find this in our assemblies today as many lean on the arms of government to show them mercy but longstanding mercy will never come from this world.
It is only God who is merciful and He proved it when He sent the Lord Jesus Christ!
God will again have mercy on these of Israel one day soon but only after the Church is in Heaven:
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
*****Our text:
Exo 5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
Exo 5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
Exo 5:22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
Exo 5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
Why is it that when things go wrong we always try to lay the blame on someone else? Israel had been in slavery to Egypt since the time of the death of Joseph. The Pharaohs were wary of the children of Israel. These elders would have had to know this yet they had remained under bondage without even attempting to escape and more important they had only just recently called on God.
Moses knew what God had told him that this Pharaoh would do(harden his heart) but maybe Moses had not expected this ridicule from his own brethren.
There would come a real testing of Moses, God's servant, for it is far more trying to be criticized by our own brothers and sisters who we are trying to help, than it is to be persecuted by the people of this world.
We can see again in "type" the comparison with the Lord Jesus as He was persecuted by His own brethren before He was crucified by the world.
Moses returned in prayer to the Lord but he tried to dictate to the Lord which really just showed his unbelief in the Words of God.
When we look back from where we are we can see that there was no need for God to hurry. God's people would be delivered but in His Own Time and He would not fail.
God says what He means and He means what He says!
Many things needed to be accomplished before Israel would be run out of Egypt:
1.) God wanted the world to see, especially Egypt, just how evil this Pharaoh was.
2.) God wanted the world to see His patience and longsuffering not wanting any to perish, even this Pharaoh.
3.) It would show the world that God will judge in "righteousness".
4.) It would show to Israel and the world that we need to be "Humble" before this Almighty God. (they were also a stiffnecked people)
5.) It would at last show that the more we are persecuted by the devil, the more we will appreciate the redeeming power of God and the salvation that can come only through Our Lord.
This Pharaoh in fact is a "type" of the Anti-Christ!
*****Our text:
Exo 6:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
Exo 6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exo 6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
Exo 6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
Exo 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
Exo 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exo 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
Exo 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Moses had been right to trace the increased afflictions back to the hand of God:
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Moses was wrong in murmuring against the counsel of God:
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Notice that at this time God did not chastise Moses but gave him encouragement.
Pharaoh had to be given the opportunity to accept the will of God and he had rejected the existance of Jehovah God.
This Pharaoh would now meet Jehovah God!
Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
God said:
"Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land"
God says he will do His pleasure:
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
For the Church(the Bride of Christ) we need only know that no matter how much our enemy may roar and rage against us he cannot stand up to the Lord God Almighty!
What would happen to Egypt and this king at this time was so certain that there were no "ifs", there were no "maybes" and there were no "perhaps" . There was only the certainty of God's Word.
God has not changed:
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God's Word still does exactly like He says it will do!
As Christians we sometimes and most of the time, focus on the battle when we should concentrate on the task at hand(Matthew 28:18-20) and look past the battle unto the Sure Promise of Victory in Jesus Christ Our Lord(Revelation 22).
The gap in between, much like that dash between the day we are born and the day we die is our time to shine for Jesus while we are yet in this world.
"I must ask myself, will I just be twattling my thumbs the day rewards are passed out in Heaven. Will I even have a crown to throw back to the feet of Jesus"?
I already have victory over death:
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
These Divine titles of God have much importance in these scriptures.
1.) God (Elohim) speaks of the Creator the absolute King and Governor of this world.
2.) Jehovah (The Lord) is the title connected to His people by "Covenant" relationship.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob new of Jehovah but they had not seen what this title meant to God's people.
The Bible tells us:
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
You see it was time for Jehovah to begin showing Israel the fulfillment of that Covenant.
Israel would see first hand the faithfulness, the power and the deliverance of Jehovah God.
God is faithful:
To Israel:
Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
To the Church:
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
If Jehovah established this covenant, then it must be fulfilled because this was an unconditional covenant. It did not rely on anything from the children of Israel. God had to fulfill His Covenant. He is the performer of His own Word!
The Bible says:
Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church:
Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
We have proof that the saints of God are also related to God by His own unconditional covenant, though some teach in error the opposite.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Heb 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God made this promise from the beginning:
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Our entire faith is based upon the promises of God!
Our covenant comes through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Jehovah God makes seven promises to Israel at this time:
1.) "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians"
2.) "I will rid you out of their bondage"
3.) "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments"
4.) "I will take you to me for a people"
5.) "I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God"
6.) "I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob"
7.) "I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD"
We have seven "I Wills" of God.
Notice that there are seven and seven is God's number.
God gave seven "I Will" statements to Abraham:
Genesis 17: 6-21
God gave Jeremiah seven "I Will" statements:
Jeremiah 31:33-34
All these were covenant promises.
Lets look closer:
1.) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians:
God was fulfilling a promise to Abraham.
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
We can also know there was a purpose from verse Gen 15:16.
What we realize is that God does this very same thing to every Born Again child of God. We are delivered from the burden of our lost condition, of our conscious guilt and prepared to die in peace.
We can also realize that since God does not take us straight to Heaven then He has a purpose for leaving us here. [the sin of the Amorites(Gentiles) is not yet full]
2.) I will rid you out of their bondage:
God does not say He will relieve His people but He will completely separate them for their previous condition.
For instance a slave may be sold to a kinder master yet they would still be a slave.
This is not God's way!
God would bring this people out into the wilderness in communion with Him.
Just as that lost one who receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour is delivered from sin, Satan, and the fear of death.
The Apostle John wrote:
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
That word "make" means to totally liberated!
3.) I will redeem you:
To redeem means to purchase to be set free.
To the Christian this means God paid a price for our freedom. That price was the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
4.) I will take you to Me for a people:
This meant that He was forming Israel into a nation.
Psa 135:4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
As the Church is built on the foundation of Jesus, we too belong to God as His peculiar people.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, [a peculiar people]; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, [but are now the people of God]: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
5.) I will be your God:
Only the one true God could have done the things that were shone in Egypt. Only God could part the Red Sea. He truly was a God to Israel and He has not changed.
But to the Church He says:
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and [I will be their God, and they shall be my people].
6.) I will bring you into the land:
God brought Israel out of bondage into the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
To the Church, God promises He will bring all those He has purchased in to His Heaven.
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
Not one of God's sheep will perish:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
7.) I will give it you for an heritage:
This was the goal God had promised to Abraham and to David and has not been completely fulfilled at this time. This fulfillment will come after the "rapture" of the Church, during the Millennial reign of Christ at His second coming.
To the the Church the full enjoyment of our heritage is still future. We have been given what could be said is the down payment:
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
And this is the gift that we "cannot" work for:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
What do we see after these words God had spoken to Moses were given to Israel?
Just as all the lost, they were ignorant of the "Grace" had had in store for all that believe!
Moses was God's man and it was time he stood before Pharaoh in boldness, speaking plainly the Word of God.
This is exactly what every called out servant of God should do. Every preacher, pastor, teacher, and servant!
As Moses brought up again the fact of his speach impairment maybe he thought God should remove this obstacle.
We are reminded from the Apostle Paul:
2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
God does not respond to Moses just as He did not respond to Paul.
God's answer will always be:
Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Php 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13 [I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me].
We cannot do these things alone!
When we are reluctant to step forward and speak for the Lord we must not forget that He promised to be with us:
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Let's Pray!
Exodus Chapters 5, 6
We have seen that even before Moses was born God had a plan to use him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. We have seen that God has patiently trained Moses for 80 years. This was not because God needed this but it was Moses that had needed this time in his life to reach a point where he understood the Words and the Work of God.
God had heard the cries of His children. God had prepared His deliverer. It was now time for the doing of it.
We should have the correct understanding of a Pharaoh. The title "Pharaoh" means "great house". The Egyptians applied this title to their kings going back to about 1500 BC. These Pharaohs were absolute monarchy and considered to be gods by the people of Egypt. These Egyptians had many gods but not one of them had any power until the existing Pharaoh prayed to them to give them this power. For instance, "Ra" the sun god had no power until a Pharaoh woke him up with a morning ritual and prayer. We can see how arrogant this could be.
I think we have men, especially in America but throughout this world, that believe the world would end without their knowledge and their means, as they are also full of such arrogance.
Jesus said to Pilate:
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And Paul added:
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
God always knows the situations of all His people. Their deliverance from Egypt was already in progress. God had chosen His man through which these things would be accomplished. Moses would communicate the "will" of God to these people.
We now have the written Word of God that communicates "His will" to us and we are expected to obey.
The Bible says:
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: [for this is the whole duty of man].
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Moses became the hero of Israel so much so that God would not allow the place of his burial to be known as many of Israel would have tried to make a god out of Moses. Satan knew this and tried to take advantage of this.
The Bible says:
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
The Bible proves that God works through those He calls. We should hang our head in shame when we know God has called on us to do something but we have refused. God's plan does not stop as He will always choose and call some one else.
The Apostle Paul knew this to be true:
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Co 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
Jesus tells us:
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
God is pleased with those that serve where they are called:
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
God always keeps His word now we will see how these things unfold.
*****Our Text:
Exo 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
Exo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Exo 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Moses introduces the God of Israel to Pharaoh. Pharaoh would not accept that such a people as slaves could have much of a god. He simply would not consider this as fact and he would not be impressed very easily. Remember Pharaoh considered himself a god. It took a lot of courage for Moses and Aaron to stand before such a cruel and heartless man as this king.
He says:
"Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go"
When we see the word "LORD" with all capitol letters in the Bible(KJV), we can be sure that Moses had said Jehovah(Yahweh).
The meaning of the word Jehovah is "the unchanging, eternal, self-existent God," the "I am that I am," a covenant-keeping God.
Pharaoh had never heard of such a god but he would soon know Him very well!
Moses immediately tried a different approach by saying:
"The God of the Hebrews"
This title would mean "The Elohim of the Hebrews" for Israel was not a nation in the eyes of Pharaoh. Moses made this king aware that this Elohim was the supreme and the only God of the Hebrew nation.
Pharaoh reacted to this by showing who had the real power over the Hebrews. He made them work even harder an in more harsh conditions.
God had told Moses that these things would happen and Moses was not surprised by the actions of this king.
We should understand, when we serve the Lord Jesus, we will not be treated much different than how the world treated Him.
God was gracious in extending this opportunity to this king but when God's "grace" is refused, the only thing left is the "judgment" of God.
God will accomplish His will in the face of all opposition.
A real example of this is to reach down and pluck a sinner out of his road to Hell and through His "grace" save a lost soul. Our strength being made perfect in weakness!
Most people besides the Atheists and the Muslim, believe that people should have freedom of religion, a freedom to worship the god of their choice. It was a perfectly reasonable for Moses to ask Pharaoh for permission to do so. With this denial by this king it opened the door for the return of the "Living God" to exact His own punishment at His own will.
Notice it is Jehovah God who chose this battle. This battle would not only be to redeem God's people from bondage. It was not fought only for Israel to possess the "promised land" but it was fought so Israel could dwell in God's Tabernacle! Israel was redeemed to be God's People!
As this Pharaoh was saying these people were his, God was saying these people are Mine! Israel would not have existed without God's deliverance from Egypt! This conflict was waged over the destiny of a race of people.
Can we not see that as Christians we can see a "type" in this of the conflict that Jesus is waging over the destiny of the Church and the lost who are in the bondage of Satan the Devil.
*****Our text:
Exo 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
Exo 5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Exo 5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
Exo 5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Exo 5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
Exo 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Exo 5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
Exo 5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
Exo 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
Exo 5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
Exo 5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
Exo 5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
Exo 5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
Exo 5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
Exo 5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
Exo 5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
This Pharaoh then ask Moses and Aaron who gave them the authority to stop the work of the slaves. It seems clear that this king had heard of the conference which Moses had held with the elders of Israel. He had probably even heard of the signs God had given to Moses to show these people. (The rod and the leprous hand). These children of Israel may have even gotten lax in their work expecting God to move quickly to free them.
We can see in "type" that this has some resemblance of the time of Jesus when certain people expected Him to sit on the throne as King and destroy the Roman power. God would do this to the nation of Egypt but this king would first be humbled.
This Pharaoh said:
"get you unto your burdens"
Pharaoh then increased that burden on Israel.
These handmade bricks used in construction were made of clay moistened with water and mixed with chopped straw. These were different from oven baked brick. For those that do not know the quality of this material, the evidence of it can still be seen in Egypt in many pyramids that were built with this material and still stand the test of time.
To add the task of gathering this straw(probably chopped barley and wheat) and deliver it to the place of the clay and water added tremendous burden to these Hebrew.
If the quota was not met then the elders of Israel were beaten and we know the purpose of this was to make these elders ignore the Word of God. You see Moses had God's Word and it was time for these Hebrew to place their "faith" in God and not in the world. They would receive no mercy from the world.
Only God has "Mercy" and thus "Grace".
Satan will never cease to oppress and will always make things harder for the child of God!
The Bible says:
Pro 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Pro 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Pro 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: [but the way of transgressors is hard].
Pharaoh had twisted God's Word to mean that the these children of the Most High God just wanted to go and worship a god. This has never been the truth!
The pure fact is the it is Jehovah God that made the request and not the people!
Once we are redeemed we should want to assemble in the House of God!
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
But while we were lost we did not want to assemble, it was God who requests us to come to a house with His name on it. It was God who reached out to the children of Israel! Moses had God's message, not his own.
Any true Pastor or Preacher should be preaching God's message not their own!
We can see that these elders of Israel held true to form when they went to Pharaoh to plead their case instead of going to God who is in control of all things.
If they expected this king to have pity, then they were most disappointed.
We find this in our assemblies today as many lean on the arms of government to show them mercy but longstanding mercy will never come from this world.
It is only God who is merciful and He proved it when He sent the Lord Jesus Christ!
God will again have mercy on these of Israel one day soon but only after the Church is in Heaven:
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
*****Our text:
Exo 5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
Exo 5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
Exo 5:22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
Exo 5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
Why is it that when things go wrong we always try to lay the blame on someone else? Israel had been in slavery to Egypt since the time of the death of Joseph. The Pharaohs were wary of the children of Israel. These elders would have had to know this yet they had remained under bondage without even attempting to escape and more important they had only just recently called on God.
Moses knew what God had told him that this Pharaoh would do(harden his heart) but maybe Moses had not expected this ridicule from his own brethren.
There would come a real testing of Moses, God's servant, for it is far more trying to be criticized by our own brothers and sisters who we are trying to help, than it is to be persecuted by the people of this world.
We can see again in "type" the comparison with the Lord Jesus as He was persecuted by His own brethren before He was crucified by the world.
Moses returned in prayer to the Lord but he tried to dictate to the Lord which really just showed his unbelief in the Words of God.
When we look back from where we are we can see that there was no need for God to hurry. God's people would be delivered but in His Own Time and He would not fail.
God says what He means and He means what He says!
Many things needed to be accomplished before Israel would be run out of Egypt:
1.) God wanted the world to see, especially Egypt, just how evil this Pharaoh was.
2.) God wanted the world to see His patience and longsuffering not wanting any to perish, even this Pharaoh.
3.) It would show the world that God will judge in "righteousness".
4.) It would show to Israel and the world that we need to be "Humble" before this Almighty God. (they were also a stiffnecked people)
5.) It would at last show that the more we are persecuted by the devil, the more we will appreciate the redeeming power of God and the salvation that can come only through Our Lord.
This Pharaoh in fact is a "type" of the Anti-Christ!
*****Our text:
Exo 6:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
Exo 6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exo 6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
Exo 6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
Exo 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
Exo 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exo 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
Exo 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Moses had been right to trace the increased afflictions back to the hand of God:
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Moses was wrong in murmuring against the counsel of God:
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Notice that at this time God did not chastise Moses but gave him encouragement.
Pharaoh had to be given the opportunity to accept the will of God and he had rejected the existance of Jehovah God.
This Pharaoh would now meet Jehovah God!
Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
God said:
"Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land"
God says he will do His pleasure:
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
For the Church(the Bride of Christ) we need only know that no matter how much our enemy may roar and rage against us he cannot stand up to the Lord God Almighty!
What would happen to Egypt and this king at this time was so certain that there were no "ifs", there were no "maybes" and there were no "perhaps" . There was only the certainty of God's Word.
God has not changed:
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God's Word still does exactly like He says it will do!
As Christians we sometimes and most of the time, focus on the battle when we should concentrate on the task at hand(Matthew 28:18-20) and look past the battle unto the Sure Promise of Victory in Jesus Christ Our Lord(Revelation 22).
The gap in between, much like that dash between the day we are born and the day we die is our time to shine for Jesus while we are yet in this world.
"I must ask myself, will I just be twattling my thumbs the day rewards are passed out in Heaven. Will I even have a crown to throw back to the feet of Jesus"?
I already have victory over death:
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
These Divine titles of God have much importance in these scriptures.
1.) God (Elohim) speaks of the Creator the absolute King and Governor of this world.
2.) Jehovah (The Lord) is the title connected to His people by "Covenant" relationship.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob new of Jehovah but they had not seen what this title meant to God's people.
The Bible tells us:
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
You see it was time for Jehovah to begin showing Israel the fulfillment of that Covenant.
Israel would see first hand the faithfulness, the power and the deliverance of Jehovah God.
God is faithful:
To Israel:
Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
To the Church:
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
If Jehovah established this covenant, then it must be fulfilled because this was an unconditional covenant. It did not rely on anything from the children of Israel. God had to fulfill His Covenant. He is the performer of His own Word!
The Bible says:
Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church:
Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
We have proof that the saints of God are also related to God by His own unconditional covenant, though some teach in error the opposite.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Heb 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God made this promise from the beginning:
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Our entire faith is based upon the promises of God!
Our covenant comes through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Jehovah God makes seven promises to Israel at this time:
1.) "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians"
2.) "I will rid you out of their bondage"
3.) "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments"
4.) "I will take you to me for a people"
5.) "I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God"
6.) "I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob"
7.) "I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD"
We have seven "I Wills" of God.
Notice that there are seven and seven is God's number.
God gave seven "I Will" statements to Abraham:
Genesis 17: 6-21
God gave Jeremiah seven "I Will" statements:
Jeremiah 31:33-34
All these were covenant promises.
Lets look closer:
1.) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians:
God was fulfilling a promise to Abraham.
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
We can also know there was a purpose from verse Gen 15:16.
What we realize is that God does this very same thing to every Born Again child of God. We are delivered from the burden of our lost condition, of our conscious guilt and prepared to die in peace.
We can also realize that since God does not take us straight to Heaven then He has a purpose for leaving us here. [the sin of the Amorites(Gentiles) is not yet full]
2.) I will rid you out of their bondage:
God does not say He will relieve His people but He will completely separate them for their previous condition.
For instance a slave may be sold to a kinder master yet they would still be a slave.
This is not God's way!
God would bring this people out into the wilderness in communion with Him.
Just as that lost one who receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour is delivered from sin, Satan, and the fear of death.
The Apostle John wrote:
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
That word "make" means to totally liberated!
3.) I will redeem you:
To redeem means to purchase to be set free.
To the Christian this means God paid a price for our freedom. That price was the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
4.) I will take you to Me for a people:
This meant that He was forming Israel into a nation.
Psa 135:4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
As the Church is built on the foundation of Jesus, we too belong to God as His peculiar people.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, [a peculiar people]; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, [but are now the people of God]: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
5.) I will be your God:
Only the one true God could have done the things that were shone in Egypt. Only God could part the Red Sea. He truly was a God to Israel and He has not changed.
But to the Church He says:
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and [I will be their God, and they shall be my people].
6.) I will bring you into the land:
God brought Israel out of bondage into the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
To the Church, God promises He will bring all those He has purchased in to His Heaven.
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
Not one of God's sheep will perish:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
7.) I will give it you for an heritage:
This was the goal God had promised to Abraham and to David and has not been completely fulfilled at this time. This fulfillment will come after the "rapture" of the Church, during the Millennial reign of Christ at His second coming.
To the the Church the full enjoyment of our heritage is still future. We have been given what could be said is the down payment:
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
And this is the gift that we "cannot" work for:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
What do we see after these words God had spoken to Moses were given to Israel?
Just as all the lost, they were ignorant of the "Grace" had had in store for all that believe!
Moses was God's man and it was time he stood before Pharaoh in boldness, speaking plainly the Word of God.
This is exactly what every called out servant of God should do. Every preacher, pastor, teacher, and servant!
As Moses brought up again the fact of his speach impairment maybe he thought God should remove this obstacle.
We are reminded from the Apostle Paul:
2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
God does not respond to Moses just as He did not respond to Paul.
God's answer will always be:
Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Php 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13 [I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me].
We cannot do these things alone!
When we are reluctant to step forward and speak for the Lord we must not forget that He promised to be with us:
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Let's Pray!
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