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Sunday, December 4, 2011

God Redeems His People

God Redeems His People

Our text:

Exodus 11, 12

We know as Christians that God saves one individual at a time. We have a personal, one on one, relationship with our Father who is in Heaven. This came only through the blood of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Once saved, Born Again, we each have our duty to be available for God's work and in some cases God will call on certain ones for a more specific duty, such as Preachers, Pastors, Missionaries and other things.

What we see in the Book of Exodus is something different. God redeems an entire nation to serve Him.

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.

Paul wrote:

Rom 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

This adoption was not individual as one lost being saved. No this adoption was an entire nation being singled out as objects of God's special favors.

Jer 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

The title "firstborn" speaks of honor and privilege and in the Bible times the firstborn was to receive a double portion.

The first request from Moses was for Israel to sacrifice unto the Lord:

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].

1.) This has not changed! The "blood" is still required to avert God's judgment.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Only as a sinner places the "blood of Jesus" between himself and a Holy God can we stand in His presence.

2.) Only after this, can come service!

Dan 3:17 If it be so, [our God whom we serve] is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

3.) Only after this comes the feast!

To the Jew the feasts of the Tabernacle.

To the child of God the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

This contest between Pharaoh and Jehovah was almost ended. This king had passed many opportunities to repent. Warning after warning and plague after plague had been sent yet he refused the Word of God.

God does not back down nor bend His rules to make it easier for repentance. There is only one way to become friends with this God:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

This Pharaoh only had one answer up until this time:

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.

Pharaoh had seen the wrath of God and he would now see the judgment of God.

*****Our text:

Exo 11:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

Exo 11:2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

Exo 11:3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

Exo 11:4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

Exo 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

Exo 11:6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

Exo 11:7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

Exo 11:8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

Exo 11:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

Exo 11:10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

"One More Plague"

The Bible says:

Psa 78:43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

Psa 78:44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

Psa 78:45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

Psa 78:46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

Psa 78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

Psa 78:48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

Psa 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Psa 78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

Psa 78:51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

There is no withstanding the angel of death! No amount of wealth and certainly no amount of science can provide deliverance from death:

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The Palace was not more secure than the servant quarters.

In verse two we see the word "borrow". Many say that God teaches His people to be deceptive and dishonest but nothing could be further from the truth.

The Hebrew word "sha'al was translated in this verse as "borrow". This Hebrew word is used 168 times in the Old Testament, 162 times it is translated "ask, beg, or require".

Even though this is true, why should the Lord tell his people to "ask" anything from a people that for at least 80 years had made slaves of Israel. They had never been paid for the work done in those many years. Lawfully they were entitled to those things as payment.

Spiritually speaking the world owes a great debt for the presence of God's people. It was Christians that began most all charitable institutions and also most of the schools and hospitals.

We can be sure that on the day of the "rapture" the world will see the true blessing of the Church depart from it for several years.

God will always fulfill His promises:

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]:

God had also told Abraham these things:

Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and [afterward shall they come out with great substance].

*****all the firstborn shall die

It is a tremendous loss for any soul to be judged of God because he truly wants us all to join Him in Heaven.

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.

When a lost soul crosses our path and when given the opportunity we do not witness to them of salvation it may have been their last chance and they may end up in Hell.

This Pharaoh had rejected to even consider that the Israelite people should worship their God. They were an abomination to him and his people and he considered their value to be only as slaves with no rights at all. In how many nations has this not taken place, even in America.

We can dwell on the death of these that could have repented and gone with the Israelite people or we can look upon those that were not harmed because of obedience.

It is a right saying to repeat:

Pro 9:10 [The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom]: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Pro 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

But to be foolish:

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but [fools despise wisdom and instruction].

To be a Christian and to fear the Lord is to believe that He will never do anything that is unrighteous.

Jer 4:2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Paul wrote to the Church in Rome:

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and [to make his power known], (endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction):

Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Why not just punish this Pharaoh? We can be sure that this nation treated this Pharaoh as a god and stood by him.

Exo 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and [they shall follow] them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Exo 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

You see the Lord does put a difference in those that obey the Word of God and those that do not!

"that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel"

God shows the Power of His "Grace"!

God has one rule for Himself:

Rom 9:14 [What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid].

Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, [but of God that sheweth mercy].

Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

This same God sits on the throne today:

1Co 4:7 [For who maketh thee to differ from another?] and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

That answer is that, It is God that makes the difference and It is God that chooses those to receive His "Grace".

There is no creature in this world that is not under the direct control of this Almighty God!

Morally the children of Israel were no better than these Egyptians:

Lev 17:7 And they shall [no more] offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

Joshua said:

Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: [and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt]; and serve ye the LORD.

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

We can see that the people of Israel also worshipped the false gods of Egypt.

God had said:

Eze 20:6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:

Eze 20:7 [Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt]: I am the LORD your God.

What we see is that God delivered Israel not because of any worthiness but simply because He had promised Abraham.

What do we see in "typology"?

1.) Israel was in bondage to a cruel king.

(the natural man a captive of the Devil)

2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

2.) They cried out because of their bondage not knowing the Redeemer at that time.

(the natural man finally realizing that he is a sinner and aware of his lost condition)

We can know God also hears the cries of the poor and wretched. God remembered HIS COVENANT before they had "faith".

You see God raised up His redeemer before anyone knew they needed one!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

You see God made a Covenant with His Son Jesus Christ before the foundation of this world which is the basis of His respect for the Church.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Eph 1:4 [According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world], that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

3.) When Pharaoh heard of God's intentions we see that he increased the burdens of the children of Israel

We can be sure that whenever Satan senses that of one of his, has realized their lost condition he will immediatly increase their burden for evil and not for good. Satan will distort the word of God!

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, [Yea, hath God said], Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

We see more and more versions of God's Word (or so called) that does this very thing.

The Blood, The Virgin Birth, The Bodily Resurrection of our Lord being set aside by these perversions of God's WORD.

It is not until that lost soul turns away from everything [in his own self] and puts his trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ that salvation and then peace of soul is obtained:

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

When we realize we have no righteousness:

Isa 64:6 [But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags]; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

And this will lead to death of the soul:

Rom 6:23 [For the wages of sin is death]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We cannot know the gift of God, which is eternal life [but only through Jesus Christ our Lord!]

*****Our Text:

Exo 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exo 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

Exo 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

Exo 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Exo 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Exo 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

Exo 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

Exo 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.

Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

Exo 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exo 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Again we will see in these scriptures that God will put a difference between His children and those of Satan. It will be so in the "rapture of the Church" and it will be so in His millennial reign on this earth and it will be so throughout at the White throne of Judgment!

One might ask, what is that difference? That difference is God's "Grace"!

Though the Egyptians and the Israelites were the same in "SIN":

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

God's Holiness could not then and cannot now ignore "Sin"!

1.) God made no exceptions for the angels:

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

2.) Even those of the church were at one time the children of wrath:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

3.) God did not even make an exception for His Son:

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

4.) God will not ever clear those guilty of "sin":

Exo 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, [and that will by no means clear the guilty;] visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

There is no REPRIEVE FOR SIN!

Only a merciful God could come up with a solution!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Still every demand for justice had to be satisfied. Every claim of Holiness had to be met.

THERE HAD TO BE A SUBSTITUTE!

The sentence of death had to fall on an INNOCENT victim!

God described our own world and our own nation of America for us:

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isa 1:7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

We need only look at the place we live to know that this is still true.

IT WAS ONLY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT LAMB THAT MERCY COULD MEET RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Psa 85:7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

Psa 85:8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

Psa 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Psa 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

This true story we have of God redeeming the children of Israel from Egypt is in "type" the Lord Jesus Christ as He went to that cross to redeem all that believe on Him.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. [For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us]:

1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jesus Christ was our "Passover" that brought to us "Life" eternal.

It was the Lord's Passover:

Exo 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: [it is the LORD'S passover].

The death of our Lord "Glorified God" even if none were saved by the doing of it.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

You see God did provide Himself a LAMB that we may be saved through His Work!

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, [God will provide "himself" a lamb] for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

We as believers are "justified" freely by His "Grace" through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

It is Jesus Christ who paid the price of our salvation as our substitute:

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, [and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour].

Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: [but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself].

This Jesus will return:

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:13 [From henceforth expecting] till his enemies be made his footstool.

We will see in these scriptures the most complete picture in "type" of the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus Christ:

I.) "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you"

God told Israel that only from this point was the time of the existance of Nation of Israel to be counted. Not the passover night(14th and 15th) but the first of this month.

As Christ Jesus was that Lamb what we see now is a world that is dated back to the Birth of Christ. (BC) Not the year of the world but the Year of the Lord. There has never been anyone besides our Lord that has so influenced this world. When Jesus came it changed the entire calender

But greater than that is the relationship of the believer:

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Because of the work of Jesus Christ everyone that believes will begin life anew.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

II.) "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb"

We see that this lamb was separated from the flock appointed to death four days before it was actually slain.

What we know is that Jesus Christ was marked for death before He was actually slain on the cross:

Mat 26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Mat 26:3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

Mat 26:4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.

The day Jesus said this is (1) the two day (1+2) and the day of (1+2+1=4)

Add:

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

We know in numerology that the number four represents the "world":

Jesus was also singled out for death four years before He was crucified:

Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even forty days, each day for a year], shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

(4 days)

Eze 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: [I have appointed thee each day for a year].

Jesus was in the fourth year of His ministry when He was slain and John the Baptist had said:

Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

This was the beginning of the ministry of the Lord. (Each day for a year)

Some also point out that as Jesus could not begin His ministry until the age of 30 by Jewish law then 30= 3 times 10. It was on the tenth day the lamb was chosen to be slain under the command of Moses.

III.) "Your lamb shall be without blemish"

Lev 22:21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, [it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein].

Lev 22:22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

Nothing but a perfect sacrifice could ever satisfy the requirements of God, who in Himself is Perfect!

A sinner can never atone for another sinner and not for himself!

God can only be satisfied with that which will "glorify" Him.

Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

God said:

Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, [This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him].

It is God who called Jesus worthy of the death at that cross on Calvary's Hill.

Jesus Christ was the only "lamb" without blemish!

IV.) "a male of the first year"

This lamb was to be one tear old, the fulness of it's strength.

To apply this to Jesus we know that He died for us:

1.) Not in old age.

2.) Not in childhood.

3.) Not in boyhood.

4.) Not in His youth.

Jesus died for us in the fulness of His MANHOOD.

Psa 102:24 I said, O my God, take me not away [in the midst of my days]: thy years are throughout all generations.

What do we see in these scriptures?

1.) Verse 3 says "a lamb"

2.) Verse 4 says "the lamb"

3.) Verse 5 says "your lamb"

When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour we realize it is a personal relationship.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, [who loved me, and gave himself for me].

V.) "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening"

We can see how this verse was fulfilled. When it was decided by the assembly of Israel to release Barabbas, Pilate did this by popular vote of the Jewish nation. They all yelled "crucify Him".

Mar 15:8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

Mar 15:12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

Mar 15:13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.

Mar 15:14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

Mar 15:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

In a like manner it is true that the sins of every individual believer was what put Jesus on that cross:

1Pe 2:24 [Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree], that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

VI.) "the fourteenth day"

This is the exact time when Jesus died on that cross! Between the evenings of the fourteenth day the fifteenth day.

The ninth hour would be three o'clock by today's clocks!

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mat 27:47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

Mat 27:48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

Mat 27:49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

VII.) "shall kill it in the evening"

Even in Jerusalem at this very time of the Passover Feast many lambs were to be sacrificed. But the scripture says: "shall kill it".(not them)

The plural "lambs" is not used at all in chapter 12 of Exodus.

THERE WAS ALWAYS ONLY "ONE LAMB" IN THE EYES OF GOD! THE LAMB OF CALVARY!

VIII.) "they shall eat the flesh in that night" "roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it"

This lamb was not just to be killed but also to be eaten. The children of Israel were looking at a long journey that would require much strength.

We know that this "lamb" speaks of the person of Christ Jesus. He is God's food for His people then and now:

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

It was in His death that Jesus ordains His food for eternal life!

We cannot feed on the bread of life until we have come out of the world:

2Co 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

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.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

If we cannot walk in the light of Jesus, we cannot have fellowship with Him:

1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Those bitter herbs tell us of our conscience as we cannot have fellowship with His sufferings without remembering it was "our sin" that made His suffering needful:

Php 3:10 [That I may know him], and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

IX.) "Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire"

We know this:

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

For that lost soul, death is not the last thing they will face. They will still face the judgment of a Holy God. These are two separate things and occur on two separate times. Our God is a "sin hating" God.

Therefore: When Jesus Christ took our place on that cross, He not only had to die, He had to stand in judgment of His own Father. This "fire" in this verse speaks of the "wrath" of a Holy God.

2Co 5:21 [For he hath made him to be sin for us], who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This is the very reason the Church will be "Raptured" out of this world before God's wrath is shown to this world during the tribulation period. Jesus took our place even in God's wrath.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

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.

When Jesus said "I thirst", He was not thirsting for water, His soul was in the heat of God's wrath. (roasted with fire) It is in this world that the Word of the Living God should not be watered down because water will hinder the action of God's "fire".

Because Jesus went through the fire for us, we have His prepared Word, the true Bread of Life. It is not just God 's Word that we need for "Salvation" but we need that Glorious Person of Jesus in our hearts, our body, our minds, and Our Soul.

We cannot be the Body of Christ unless we partake of His Body. This is symbolized to the Church, by the Lord's Supper.

X.) "ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning"

The "lamb" must be eaten the very same night it is slain. The rising sun was not to see the slain lamb.

The work Jesus did on that cross was a completed work. In His own words He said:

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, [It is finished]: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

We have have communion with God because the redemption price was paid. We must remember what the Lord has done for us and never forget but the sacrifice itself is in the past and completed. There can be no more sacrifice for our sin! Jesus paid the price and now lives on High.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also [that ascended up far above all heavens], that he might fill all things.)

XI.) "And thus shall ye eat it"

That word "thus" tells us how we should be dressed when we partake of Our Lord Jesus:

1.) "your loins girded"

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

There will therefore be no hindrance in the way of our walk with the Lord. The ungirded garment would be like wearing weights and Paul wrote:

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, [let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2.) "your shoes on your feet"

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

There is a journey that every believer will have after accepting the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.

Moses later wrote:

Deu 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and [thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot].

Deu 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, [neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

What we see is that God will provide every need in the walk of His Saints.

3.) "your staff in your hand"

The staff is a sign of our daily walk with our Lord. These redeemed of God would be traveling through the wilderness in search of a new home.

So it is to the saint of God as we pass through this world.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1Pe 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

It is not that we carry our own staff because it is of God:

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; [thy rod and thy staff they comfort me].

Don't you just love the word of God that teaches us His truth no matter where we read!

4.) "ye shall eat it in haste"

They were to eat in haste because they did not know exactly when the Lord would come! They expected the imminent Coming of the Lord!

This is the same frame of mind we need to be in our daily walk with the Lord. Our job is to make disciples of others. We all have family members whom we believe are lost. Hell is hot and if we do not believe that the Lord can come at any time we are not listening to what God's Word is saying to us.

Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Mat 24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

XII.) "when I see the blood"

The slain lamb, the blood on the door post in the shape of the cross, and the eating of the lamb's flesh provided the protection of God's chosen people.

God did not just pass by the house of those that obeyed but He stood guard protecting all those under the blood.

The Bible says:

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, [to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood].

Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, [but by his own blood] he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people [with his own blood], suffered without the gate.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, [and washed us from our sins in his own blood],

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Nothing but the "BLOOD" will God honor, the living blood of Jesus shed for us all on that cross.

XIII.) "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial"

The Bible only records seven times that this feast was kept' the last time was by Jesus Christ Himself which was immediately before He instituted the Lord's Supper which is the memorial that the Church is to keep.

Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

The last Passover.

Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

The first Lord's Supper.

The first passover was held in Egypt. So Jesus who was called out of Egypt:

Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, [Out of Egypt have I called my son].

It is Jesus who is the true Passover!

*****Our text:

Exodus 12:15-23

XIV.) Exo 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

We can see that the blood was to be applied to the lintel(headboard of the door way) and to each sidepost but there is one more thing we should see.

That word "basin" The Greek word (saf which comes from the Greek word saph) actually means the vestibule or the threshold.

In Judges 19:27 the Greek word "saf" was translated "threshhold":

In IIKings 12:9 the Greek word "saf" was translated "door":

This not to point out mistakes in the Word of God because there are no mistakes in the word of God. This simply means in our English translation some words had more than one meaning.

It was translated "bason" in our verse but more probably that lamb was slain at the doorway of each home and that blood was picked up from the threshold of the door and then applied to the headboard and the side post.

We can see that the blood was not applied to the threshold for it was already there. That lamb was probably slain at the entrance to the doorway.

Now we can get a clear picture in "type" of the cross of Calvary's mountain. Jesus Christ, His own blood flowed down to the bottom of that cross. It is when the blood that Jesus shed is applied in our own lives we will undergo our "passover" and the death angel will pass on by.

XV.) "ye shall take a bunch of hyssop"

This hyssop was not connected to the lamb. This hyssop is only connected to the application of the "Blood".

The Blood of Jesus on the cross must be uniformly applied to each sinner. In "type" this is repentance. "Hyssop" speaks of the lowliness of the sinner!

Exo 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

*****Our Text:

Exodus 12:24-51

To put away the leaven can be explained to the Christian in the New Testament:

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

When we are washed in the Blood of Jesus we can have communion with God!

When we read this passage we can understand that the Israelite did not put away the leaven to be saved. He put away the leaven "because he was saved". If he did not put away the leaven from himself and his household he was cut off from the congregation.

This would mean a suspension of Christian fellowship in the Church.

Paul wrote to the Church:

1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

There are many in this world that just do not believe God will do as he says. This Pharaoh of Egypt had this same false belief in himself.

God has this same message from the Book of Genesis through to the Book of Revelation.

Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, [ye shall all likewise perish].

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; [but he that believeth not shall be damned].

These are the words of Jesus Christ.

It is a sad thing when God has to use the death of a family member to wake us up to the truth of His Word.

It is a true statement that God is "slow to anger" and the barer many for long periods with an open door of "His Mercy" BUT even God has His limits of long sufferance!

Let's Pray!

Monday, November 28, 2011

God Makes Known His Power

GOD MAKES KNOWN HIS POWER

Our Text:

Book of Exodus Chapters 7-10

We will now see how God openly and clearly makes visible to all the eyes of Egypt and to Israel that He is the Almighty God!

This Pharaoh, this king, this man did not know the Lord God Almighty but God would not allow him to remain ignorant of that truth. This Pharaoh, this man may have seemed a mighty god in Egypt but with "faith" Moses would now understand that he was not a lesser man than this monarch.

We should always respect the position of our leaders and our President but they are men and no more of a man than anyone else, though some would have to be convinced of that. God has a place for every living soul(saved or lost) in His wonderful plan. Everyone has the same option for salvation! Remember these words of Jesus:

Joh 3:16 [For God so loved the world], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thank God He loves us while we are still sinners or none could be saved!

This Pharaoh was too stubborn to yield to God until his nation and many families saw the destruction and wrath of God. He could have never won this battle with the Lord and he should have realized it.

We should all realize we are going into war when we accept the calling of the Lord and name Him as our Saviour.

The Bible says:

Eph 6:11 Put on [the whole armour of God], that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and [having done all, to stand].

We can know this Pharaoh represented spiritual wickedness in high places!

Moses would now actually seem like a god himself. Moses was afraid at first but now this king would tremble at the site of Moses. There could not be compromise, there can only be surrender to God's "Will" or you "will" see God's "judgment"!

Moses was now ready to put forth God's Word and challenge Pharaoh face-to-face!

Unknown to all parties, God was also working toward a specific place and time:

Exo 12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

God does things according to His own time table and He will cause things to happen to insure that His "WORD" is fulfilled just as He gave it to the writers of the Bible. God's "timing" is all in His control. This world does not dictate the work of God!

*****Our text:

Exo 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Exo 7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

Exo 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Exo 7:6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

Exo 7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

At this time of Moses it is believed that Egypt worship no less than 114 different gods. We will soon see 10 plagues that demonstrate the power of God at those who partake of such meaningless idol worship. We know that to a Christian, an idol is anything that we place before our true God Jehovah.

As Moses said again that he did not have the right words for this Pharaoh, God said just speak as I command you.

"Thou shalt speak all that I command thee"

Every preacher or pastor that is God-called and Spirit-led, has this same commandment:

2Ti 4:2 Preach the "word"; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

What the Apostle Paul is saying is that we have the "Word"of God in our possesion. To myself that means the King James Bible for the English speaking world.

God's outline:

1.) This message(the Word of God) must be delivered.(the plan of God even now)

"Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh"

In our day His message is:

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.

2.) This message would harden Pharaoh's heart.(this happened at the time of Jesus)

Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, [yet they believed not on him]:

Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Joh 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

Joh 12:40 [He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them].

In verse John 12:40, we see what happened to this Pharaoh, because he refused to believe.

3.) God said He would multiply His signs and wonders. (I don't know of any other time in history when the signs and wonders have come in so many multiples as they are in our day)

We cannot ignore God's Word!

Even Paul's day:

1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, [but also in power], and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

There is not much "power" in the Church today because as the Church allows more of the world inside the source of all "power", The Holy Spirit is grieved.

4.) God said He would, not maybe, not perhaps but He "would" bring forth His armies out of Egypt.

This word "armies" meant: that organized mass of people that belonged to Him.

As Christians we can relate to this:

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, [after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you]: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem(your home town), and in all Judaea(your nation), and in Samaria(the adjacent nations), and unto the uttermost part of the earth(everywhere you go).

We can see that the Church has no power without the Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit).

5.) The Egyptians would come to know Jehovah God.

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, [which God, that cannot lie], promised before the world began;

What do we know of Moses now?

Moses was now obedient to God. Moses had faith!

What else do we see?

Moses was 80 years old. Aaron was 83 years old. We are never too old to serve this Wonderful God that saves us!

*****Our Text:

Exodus 7:8 through 7:24 The first plague.

Exo 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

The "type" of war between good and evil begins!

The first of the plagues was turning the waters into blood.

Blood speaks of "death".

Rom 6:23 [For the wages of sin is death]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This was the first sign of the Almighty God. To defy Him would bring certain death. If Adam was alive today he would tell us to be disobedient to the Lord brings death.

God will give this warning sign again in the tribulation period:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

You see the "water" is the "type" of the "Word of God".

Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

The "Word of God" is a savor of death unto death and of life unto life.

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and [maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge] by us in every place.

2Co 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

2Co 2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2Co 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

*****Our text:

Exo 7:25-8:14

Exo 7:25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

Exo 8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

We can see that God gave this king seven days to repent. God will not go beyond His perfect timing.

No repentance "will" bring judgment!

This plague was also directed to the idolatry of Egypt. The Nile River was sacred in the eyes of the Egyptians but they also worshipped frogs. God brought so many frogs that they went everywhere, even into the homes. Can you imagine being woke up by frogs in the bed? Well it happened to these Egyptians even into the cooking as the meals were being prepared.

What does the Bible say in the future judgments?

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

The blood was a "type" of death, the wages of sin, but the frogs are a "type" of "uncleanness" that comes from the Devil's work.

Notice the magicians:

1.) They could not remove the frogs.

2.) They could not keep the frogs from their own houses.

3.) They could only make more frogs.

What do we know of Satan, the prince of this world:

1.) He cannot remove evil.

2.) He cannot hinder his own evil.

3.) All he can do is produce more evil.

God says:

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

*****Our text:

Exo 8:15-19

Exo 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exo 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

The first thing we notice is that this plague came without any warning to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

All of a sudden the dust of the ground came alive with Lice. Head lice are wingless insects spending their entire life on human scalp and feeding exclusively on human blood.

We can see that this was aimed directly at the people of Egypt. This Pharaoh was a cruel leader but the entire nation followed in sinful idolatry. The priests of Egypt would shave their heads and bodies every third day for they feared such disgusting pest living on their flesh. Most all of Egypt shaved their heads.

What did God tell Adam?

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: [cursed is the ground for thy sake]; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

The natural man is still under the curse of a Holy God. The magicians and sorcerers could not

bring forth the lice.

They then acknowledged: "This is the finger of God"

God sets His bounds for the evil of Satan.

1.) Death(water to blood) if God allows.

2.) Uncleanness(the frogs) can be brought forth freely.

3.) Satan is not allowed to tamper with God's "curse".

These evil men acknowledged the Supreme God and their master Satan will also have to do so one day, in public just as these did.

*****Our text:

Exo 8:20-32

Exo 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

This plague marked the beginning of a new series of plagues. The magicians had been defeated. It is the Apostle Paul who gives us the names of the most prominent magicians of this day:

2Ti 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But Paul also adds that in the last days there would be others that could be compared to these of Moses's day:

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Israelites also had suffered from the first three plagues but even that would change now.

"And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth"

This shows another awesome power of God. He can do things to certain peoples without it affecting others.

Notice the translators added the word "flies" to what Moses had written as "swarms". These then were probably a mixture of flying insects.

Psa 78:43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

Psa 78:44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

Psa 78:45 [He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them]; and frogs, which destroyed them.

We can see that this would have been much worse than the lice. Devoured would mean to be eaten.

The lice annoyed but these swarms preyed on the flesh, I believe much like we would think of Mosquitoes and biting flies tormenting these Egyptians.

When I was in Vietnam there was a fly as big as a thumb. If that fly bit or stung it brought great pain.

There will be an everlasting torment to all the lost ones day but the children of God will not be a part of it just as God separated the Children of Israel from these Egyptians on this day.

*****Our text:

Exo 9:1-7

Exo 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

Exo 9:4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.

Exo 9:5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

As God had began His torment of the people of Egypt, in this plague He would begin to destroy the possessions of the Egyptians.

The Bible tells us:

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Even still in our day we hear of diseases in the animals we use for food but to a greater extent in the time of Moses animals not only provided food but also were beast of burden and transportation. Animals were a source of money and a man's wealth was sometimes counted by how many animals he owned.

These diseases struck only where God allowed and none of it reached the animals of Israel.

In a spiritual sense this tells us the God will not accept the labors of the unbeliever!

Pro 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

This world and all thats in it will one day be destroyed completely as we know it.

The sparing of the the animals of the Israelites shows that the works of the believer will abide.

1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

*****Our text:

Exo 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

Exo 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

Exo 9:10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

Exo 9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

Exo 9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

We have again a plague that was sent without a warning to the people of Egypt, but as we see Moses did this in sight of this evil Pharaoh. This tells us that just as God had said it was, this king who began to tremble at the work of God's man Moses.

We know that the brick made by the Israelites were sun baked so this furnace used by Moses to obtain the ashes was probably used in the Egyptian worship of their gods. This may have been a place where human sacrifice was made to the Egyptian god "Typhon".

In a spiritual sense this would teach Pharaoh the vanity of false religion.

*****Our text:

Exodus 9:13-35

Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exo 9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

Exo 9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

With these Words of God we see the beginning of a third set of plagues. The next three plagues will without a doubt point to Heaven as the place from which they originate.

We will see the rod of Moses reappear. It could be said that the last three plagues were a result of man's negligence of his environment but we will see these next three will leave little doubt of their origin.

1.) The first three plagues were opposed by the magicians who failed.

2.) The last three plagues brought out the state of the natural man.

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

3.) This series of plagues will be things that had never been seen in Egypt up until that time.

This plague expresses the judgment and the "wrath" of God. It is of this type of plague that will be seen during the "Great Tribulation".

Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

*****Our text:

Exodus 10:1-20

Exo 10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exo 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

Exo 10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

Exo 10:6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. Exo 10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exo 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

Exo 10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

Exo 10:6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

These locusts are one of the terrors of the East. They prey on crops and eat most any vegetation. They threatened the entire remaining food supply left from the other plagues.

Psa 105:34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

Psa 105:35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

They came to do the bidding of God.

We know it is God that sits on the throne!

All His creation obeys His every word except stubborn mankind!

Joe 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

We have other proof:

Elijah:

1Ki 17:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

1Ki 17:5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

1Ki 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Jonah:

Jon 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Ballam:

Num 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

We know that Jesus told a fish to gather a coin for Peter. We know that Jesus told the fish which side of the boat to get on and other are other proofs that it is God that sits on the throne.

All God's creation is waiting on the plan of God to unfold at His command:

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

*****Our text:

Exo 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

Exo 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

Exo 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Exo 10:24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

Exo 10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.

Exo 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.

Exo 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

Exo 10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

Exo 10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

In Egypt the sun is worshipped under the name of "Ra". This name is included in the title Pharaoh(Phra) which means "the sun".

God not only hid the source of light and heat to only these Egyptians but Pharaoh the ruler of "Ra" was powerless to change these things.

It is the "Creator" who reigns supreme over His creation.

Jesus said:

Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

It is God that is light:

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

This darkness in Egypt was so dark that the people had to remain in their own place for fear of hurting themselves as they could not even see one another.

These Egyptians had a darkness that they could not light but on the other hand the Israelites had a light that they could not put out.

Today we know:

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, [but now are ye light in the Lord]: walk as children of light:

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

And these things:

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus is the true light:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

The Bible says:

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

You know even in America as God is being booted out we can see the darkness approaching much like it is throughout this world.

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

This three days of darkness over the land of Egypt should remind us all of the three hours of darkness that day of the cross when Christ Jesus was made sin for all of us.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Our God will not look upon sin!

We can know that these plagues were to show the uselessness of false religion. Every plague was aimed at an Egyptian false god. None had power to overcome Jehovah God.

These plagues were for the purpose of establishing "faith". The children of Israel had dwelt in Egypt for more than 400 years. Egypt was a land of idolatry where Jehovah God was unknown.

Even today missionaries go to places where Jehovah God is unknown and to be honest even in America, Jehovah God is unknown to a greater majority, though many have heard and rejected Him.

We can see God has no problem making Himself known throughout this world, in fact He insists on it. In these plagues, the presence and power of Jehovah God were so demonstrated that His people discovered the Living God of Promise.

It was the intent of the Lord to bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt:

Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and [against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD].

When God's first sign, the serpent (from Aaron's rod), which was also a god to the Egyptians, which swallowed up the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians, it was God's statement that the gods of Egypt would be unable to save them from the judgment of the true God.

1.) The first three plagues were against the comfort of the Egyptians and also felt by the Israelites.

2.) The next three plagues were against the possessions of the Egyptians, not felt by the Israelites.

3.) The next three plagues brought desolation and death again not to the Israelites.

Thus we see the divine hand of God in the order of these plagues for Our God is a God of "order".

1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

God had to allow the magicians and sorcerers to join the battle so they could be easily defeated. They had no real power but only the power of deception and this will happen again in the future:

Rev 16:14 [For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles], which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

God only allowed this deception for a short period and they conceded they had no real power. The Devil is an "imitator" who has no real power.

We can see the traits of Satan in these passages:

1.) The roaring lion:

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

2.) The cunning serpent:

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Satan still uses these same tactics as they had worked throughout all the ages!

*****This time of Israel explains the prophetic future of Israel:

1.) The time of Jacob's Trouble:

Isa 60:14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Jer 30:5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

Jer 30:6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jer 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

2.) They again will cry out to the Lord and He will hear them:

Jer 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Jer 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

Jer 31:20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

Deu 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

Deu 30:2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

Deu 30:3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

3.) God will issue the command for them to be let go:

Isa 43:6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Isa 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

4.) God will again send two witnesses as Moses and Aaron were, here to do miracles:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

5.) Their enemies will also perform miracles:

Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

6.) God will again execute sore judgments this time on the entire world:

Jer 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

Jer 25:16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

7.) God again will protect His own people from them:

Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

Rev 14-16

8.) Water will again be changed to blood:

Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

9.) Satanic frogs will appear:

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

10.) A plague of locusts:

Rev 9:2-11

Rev 9:7 And [the shapes of the locusts] were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

11.) God will send boils and blains:

Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

12.) Terrible hailstones:

Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

13.) There again be an awful darkness:

Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

14.) Just as this Pharaoh hardened his heart, so it will be with the wicked in the days to come:

Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Rev 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

15.) Death will consume many multitudes who reject Jehovah God:

Rev 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

16.) Israel will again be delivered:

Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

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.

God's Word is true and will happen just as He wrote it down for us!

Let's Pray!

Monday, November 21, 2011

God Remembers His Covenant

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!