Exodus 1-19:22
I loved Exodus! I had to stop and think a bit about the 1st few versus. The names of the sons of Israel, and the facts that the descendants of Jacob numbered 70 in all. Israel went into Egypt a family and came out a great nation! I thought that was amazing!
The book of Exodus continues the story of God’s people in Egypt and God making for Himself a people who would follow Him in obedience and faith. Exodus shows how the people of Israel became the people of God, and a nation. We see the people of Israel learn to follow the directions of God who delivered them from Egypt.
Israel existed because of God. God’s blessings made these a mighty and numerous people.
Exodus 1:7 The Israelites were faithful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
The 1st 7 versus of Exodus covers about 400 years. Joseph and all he had been and done in Egypt had long been forgotten. And now, there was a new king, and he wasn’t Egyptian. In Acts 7:18 when Stephen was giving his presentation before the Sanhedrin, he speaks of “another king who knows not Joseph.” The word “another” in Greek is “heteros” meaning “of a different kind.” Isaiah 52:4 tells us that the pharaoh of the oppression was an Assyrian. He became insecure and threatened as the Hebrews multiplied and became powerful, so he turned them into slaves.
To me, Exodus 2 is a wonderful example of how God works in history and through people to accomplish His purpose. With the birth of Moses we see how God started the process of raising a leader to release the Israelites from Egypt.
I love the story of Moses’ birth and protection. You just knew God had something planned for this child! Moses’ mother hid him for 3 months… Impossible!! You can’t hide a healthy baby boy for 3 months without someone hearing and noticing! That was a miracle! Then when his mother knew she couldn’t hide him any longer, she put him in a basket and put him in the Nile River… Doesn’t the Nile have alligators?!!!
Ironic too…
Exodus 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave the order to all his people, “every boy that is born you must through them in the Nile, but let every girl live.”
Then, the mother had Moses’ sister watch and wait. Moses’ mother probably knew the habits of Pharaoh’s daughter. When she discovered the baby, Moses’ sister was there to suggest a nurse.
God works to protect His own! He was already preparing Moses for the day he would lead his people out of Egypt!
*Moses was allowed to be taken care of by his own parents in a Hebrew home where he was taught about God. He surely heard stories about his fore Fathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
*Then, after he was taken back to Pharaoh’s daughter he was given the best education.
Between versus 10-11 in chapter 2, Moses grows up. As a man, he obviously identified with the people of Israel. After he killed an Egyptian and had to flee to Midian, even as a murderer God still worked to prepare Moses for the work that He had for him to do. Moses learned the ways of the wilderness, he married Zipporah and received guidance and help from her father Jethro.
God loved and cared about the Israelites…
Exodus 2:23-24 The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out… 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and with Jacob.
God spoke to Moses on an ordinary day in an extraordinary way! God got Moses’ attention with a bush that burned but was not consumed. Moses turned to see the bush and had an encounter with the Living God!
The bush that Moses had his encounter with was an acacia bush, the thorn bush of the desert. In one of the references that I read it said, “The thorn bush is Levitically suggestive of sin, the curse of Adam was characterized by thorns. Those thorns that Jesus bore on his brow were not just the painful thorns, physically, but emblematic of the curse that God had placed upon mankind from Adam’s fall. So here we have a thorn bush burning but not consumed. To the rabbinical mind, that’s grace or mercy… sin being judged, but not consumed. Grace always attracts; judgment repels. It was a symbol of grace that fascinated Moses. The bush was burning but not consumed.”
I love the next part… Moses gives me hope!
What is Moses’ response when God calls him?
BUT GOD!! (Ex. 3:11) Read Exodus 3:11-4:15
Did you notice all of the excuses that Moses gave God? Do any of these excuses sound familiar?
1. But God, I’m not worthy. (Who am I God, that you would want me to ….?)
The answer to Moses’ unworthiness (and ours) is the presence of God. Moses by himself would be unworthy, but with God he would be able to accomplish what God wanted to accomplish.
2. But God, I don’t know enough about (You)God. (What is his name?) When he asked about his name he was really asking about his character. Moses was saying he didn’t know enough about God.
Ex. 3:14 I Am who I Am. Those words in Hebrew indicate a continuous activity….with these words God was saying…”The faithful God that I have been in the past I always will be in the future.” I Am The God of Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob. I had a covenant with your Fathers. I led and protected them and I will lead and protect you.
The message in God’s name seems to be….”You can depend on me.”
3. But God, The people will not believe me. (4:1) God has not given us the job of forcing others to believe. He has called us to follow Him and to obey his leadership. The people of Israel had to believe for themselves just as Moses had to believe and obey for himself.
You and I will face times when others won’t believe. Even when others refuse to believe, we must obey God by doing what He calls us to do.
4. But God, I cannot speak in public. (4:10)
Ex. 4:12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” God gives his people the gifts they need to serve Him. We won’t all be preachers or teachers or have the theological insights of Paul. God will, however, give us whatever we need, to do what he wants us to do.
5. But God, Send someone else. (4:13) But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” God wanted Moses for the job but he sent Aaron to walk along side of him.**God called Moses
Equipped Moses
Walked with Moses
Led Moses
Encouraged Moses
He even sent someone to walk along side of Moses
God had a plan for Moses, and He used Moses for His purpose
As I thought about Moses and his attitude with God, I thought how much of our lives are motivated by fear… isn’t that the reason we respond much the same way to God? But God!!! The only way to conquer a fear is to replace it with a greater fear.
Snakes are a good example…Lets say a rattlesnake appears on your front sidewalk, coiled & ready to strike. You would be overcome with fear of that snake... wouldn’t you? I would!! Then you realize your child is running into the path of the rattler. At that moment, your fear of the snake pales in the face of a greater fear; fear that your child will be hurt. Your only thought a few minutes ago was to run! Now, you are willing to do battle with that snake! Your fear was replaced by a greater fear.
Or take Eve for example: She too encountered a snake. She was, no doubt, afraid of eating the forbidden fruit& risk displeasing God. But that fear was overcome by a greater fear: the fear that God was holding out on her. The fear that; if she obeyed God, she would miss out on something the world had to offer.
When you think about it, it comes down to knowing God. When we know our God, we know He desires every good thing for us. That he would never withhold any blessing, any joy. When we have complete confidence in his love for us, our hearts will be free from fear because “perfect love casts out fear”.
As children of God, we should have only one burning fear in our hearts: the fear of not glorifying God, the fear of missing out on the blessing of being used by him. The fear of living out our lives, yet missing the very purpose for which He created us. That is a joyous fear. And it’s a fear that conquers all other fears. God is going to take care of us!! Look out for us!! He has our backs!
Just like he did the Israelites in Exodus…
Ex 14: 25 He jammed[b] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
I love it! The Egyptians knew that The Lord was fighting against them!! And the people of Israel recognized that God was fighting for them and trusted Him! God is the same today! If God is for us, who can stand against us!!
