Exodus 6:28 - 10:29 - The Life of Moses

Last week we learned that following God's call often results in difficult circumstances, requiring reliance on Him.

I.  Exodus 6:28-7:13 - God Strengthens Moses

Moses thought he spoke with faltering lips and ask God, why would Pharaoh listen to him.  Faltering means to be unsteady, stammering, timid, uncertain, weak, hesitant.  God reassured Moses telling him He had made him like a god to Pharaoh and Aaron like a prophet.  They were to say everything God had told them to say to Pharaoh, but God would harden Pharaoh's heart.  God would then send mighty acts of judgment on Egypt and would bring the people out of Egypt by divisions.

Moses objections showed that he did not have enough faith or trust in God.  We are so much like Moses, but the Lord was patient with him as He is with us.  He understands our weaknesses.  He can still work in the weak.

God said go to Pharaoh and when he wants  you to perform a miracle, take your staff and throw it down and it will become a snake.  So they did what God said and Aaron's staff became a snake.  Then Pharaoh summoned his magicians and they did the same thing with their secret arts, which came from Satan.  But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.  Pharaoh would not listen to them and his heart became hard just as God had said.

What does it mean that God hardened Pharaoh's heart?  It means He made sure Pharaoh would not listen to Moses.  God proclaimed Himself sovereign in hardening Pharaoh's heart.  Pharaoh had a choice when he chose to harden his heart, but God fortified it.  It demonstrated God's power and authority.  If Pharaoh had let the people go after the 1st or even the 5th time Moses asked and God had not sent His miraculous plagues, God's superiority would not have been realized.  Pharaoh would have taken the credit.  God's signs and miracles showed Israelites and the Egyptians that the Lord is powerful and He is the one in charge not Pharaoh or the Egyptian gods.  

Has God asked you to do something hard?

Have you obeyed?

Principle: God will be glorified through both obedient and disobedient hearts.

II.  Exodus 6:14 - 10:1-23 - God Sends Plagues on Egypt

Because of Pharaoh's hardened heart, God would perform signs and wonders and would send judgment on Egypt and eventually bring the Israelites out of Egypt.  God has done this before when a country's ruler had a hardened heart.  Just look at Sodom and Gomorrah. And what about the Holocaust, just to name a few?

God sent plague after plague because Pharaoh would not listen and let the people go.  He sent 10 plagues in all, but in these chapters we will discuss only the 1st 9;  The Plague of Blood, the Plague of Frogs, the Plague of Gnats, the Plague of Flies, the Plague on Livestock, the Plague of Boils, the Plague of Hail, the Plague of Locusts, the Plague of Darkness.  These were all against the Egyptian gods.  God chose these specific plagues to show He is the 1 true God. 

Pharaoh had a perfect life and had the best of everything.  He probably thought, why do I need God?  So God was trying to get his attention  Why was he this way?  We have an enemy called Satan.  He wanted to control Pharaoh's life and he wants to control our lives.  He is the enemy all Christians.  He doesn't want us serving God.  Satan gets really mad and puts false gods in our way.  Satan is real and is the enemy of God.  Pharaoh thought he was a god.  God doesn't always give us the details about his plans, but he did to Moses.  The Egyptians would learn there is one 1 true God.  The purpose of all the plagues was to attack each of their false gods and discredit them.

Where do you need to see God working behind the scenes?

What do you need to do to trust Him?
Are you obedient to God?
How do you glorify God?

Nothing happens outside God's control.  It might be hard at times, but He is in control and if God puts you in it, He will bring you out of it.

The Plague of Blood (Ex. 7:14-24)

The 1st plague was against the god of the Nile and waters of Egypt.  Since Pharaoh would not yield and refused to let the people go so they could worship Him, God told Moses and Aaron to go and wait for Pharaoh by the bank of the Nile and say, "This is what the Lord says; By this you will know that I am the Lord;  With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood." - Ex. 7:17.  Then Aaron took his staff and turned the waters into blood, just as God commanded.  All the waters were blood, the Nile, the ponds, the streams, in the buckets and jars.  Blood was everywhere and the Egyptians could not drink the water.  The Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts.  Pharaoh's heart was still hard.

The Egyptians looked upon the Nile as a source of life.  By turning it into blood made it a river of death.  This showed that God is the source of life and He rules the Nile.  It dethroned the Egyptian gods.

The Plague of the Frogs (Ex. 7:25 - 8:15)

The 2nd plague was a judgment frogs.  The Egyptians worshipped gods in the form of frogs.  7 days passed and Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh again to let the people go so they could worship Him, but he refused.  Then Aaron stretched out his staff as directed by God and there appeared frogs all over the land of Egypt.  Pharaoh's magician did the same things.  Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord to take the frogs away and he would let the people go.  Then Moses ask God to take the frogs away and the Lord did what he asked.  After Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart again just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats (Ex. 8:16-19)

The 3rd plague was against the land and their gods of the soil.  Again God commanded Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust on the ground.  The dust became gnats and were everywhere in Egypt.  The magicians tried to do the same, but could not.  They told Pharaoh that this is the finger of God, but Pharaoh's heart was still hard.

The Plague of Flies (Ex. 8:20-32)

The 4th plague was also against the land.  Many insects were goddesses an gods of the Egyptians.  God told Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again and ask him to let the people go to worship Him.  This time when God sent the flies, He didn't let swarms of flies go where His people were so they would know that He is the Lord.  God continued protecting the Israelites from the plagues from this point on.  Pharaoh then said "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." - Ex. 7:25.  But Moses said that would not be right and that it would be detestable to the Egyptians and they might get stoned by them.  Moses wanted to take the 3 day journey into the desert as God had commanded.  Pharaoh said ok, but don't go far.  Moses prayed to God for the flies to go away and they left.  Again Pharaoh changed his mind and wouldn't let them go.

The Plague of Livestock ( Ex. 9:1-7)

The 5th plague was against the animals.  The Egyptians worshipped many animals.  the most popular was the bull god.  God again told Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the people so they can worship Him.  If he would not, tomorrow God would bring a terrible plague on all the livestock, but God would not harm and livestock of the Israelites. God waited until the next day to bring the plague.  Maybe he wanted to give them a chance to think about it maybe change Pharaoh's mind or to give them time to get the livestock to shelter.  The next day the Lord did just what He said He would do.  Even then Pharaoh would not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils (Ex. 9:8-12)

This 6th plague afflicted the bodies of the people.  The Lord told Moses and Aaron to throw handfuls of soot from the furnace into the air, which they did.  It became dust over all of Egypt and the dust became festering boils on men and animals.  Egypt was famous for its medical skills and its healing gods, but they were powerless in healing the boils.  The magicians also had boils so bad and painful that they could not stand or do their magic.  The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart just as He had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail (Ex. 9:13-35)

The 7th plague was the first of four directed against the gods of the sky.  God gives His purpose for the plagues.  The Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh again and if he didn't listen and let the people go, this time He would send the full force of plagues against Egypt.  "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." - Ex. 9:16.  This time tomorrow He would send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen.  Those officials who feared the Lord's Words hurried to bring their slaves and livestock inside.  Then when it was time Aaron stretched out his staff and thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down.  The hail struck everything in the fields including men, animals, and crops growing.  Only the land of Goshen where the Israelites were was unharmed.  Then Pharaoh said,
"This time I have sinned.  The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.  Pray to the Lord for we have had enough thunder and hail.  I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." - Ex. 9:27-28.  So Moses prayed to God and He stopped the rain and hail.  Pharaoh sinned again and he and his officials hardened their hearts.  He would not let the people go.

The Plague of the Locust (Ex. 10:1-20)

The 8th plague was a terrifying invasion of locust that devoured all that was left.  God told Moses He had hardened Pharaoh and his officials hearts so He could perform these miraculous signs that Moses may tell his children and that they may know that He is the Lord.  Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron to go again to Pharaoh tell him to let the people go and worship or He will bring locusts into Egypt tomorrow.  Pharaoh's officials pleaded with Pharaoh to let the people go and that Egypt is in ruin.  Now Pharaoh ordered the let only the men go.  Moses stretched out his staff and locust invaded Egypt. Now there was nothing green on tree or plant in Egypt.  Then to get rid of the locust, Pharaoh made another shallow confession that he had sinned against the Lord and Moses.  He asked for forgiveness and wanted Moses to pray for him, which Moses did.  But when the locust went away he refused once more to let the people go.

The Plague of Darkness (Ex. 10:21-29)

The 9th plague came quickly and unannounced.  This was the most significant judgment of all.  The sun god had been banished.  The Lord commanded Moses to stretch out his hand so darkness would spread throughout Egypt.  Even at this point Pharaoh was unwilling to surrender and let the people go.

When have you tried to bargain with God?

Have you promised to obey God when under pressure, but later changed your mind?

There are many false gods today, but they go by the name "god".  Anything that opposes God is an idol and a false god. 

Is there something so important to you that it consumes you?  If so, that it your idol.

What captures your heart and mind?  
What things are gods in your life?
It is your job, family, money, reputation, possessions, pleasures, Facebook, shopping?  

The 1st of the 10 commandments says, "You shall have no other gods before me". - Ex. 20:3.  God will not comprise with idolatry. 

Pharaoh wanted to compromise with God.  God will not compromise.  He is sovereign and if you oppose Him, you will be broken as Pharaoh was.  After all these plagues/miracles the Israelites and "the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord" - Ex. 7:5.  They would all have personal knowledge and experience who God is.

Principles: 

There is only one true God.
Whatever you make your god, the 1 true God will discredit or destroy.
God works for the good of those who trust Him, but against those who resist Him.

Do you believe there is 1 true God?

III.  Exodus 10:24-29 - Pharaoh's Hardened Heart

Pharaoh tells Moses and to go worship the Lord, but leave the animals behind.  He is still trying to compromise with God.  Moses will not comprise.  Moses is now much more confident.

Principle:  There is NO comprising with God.

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Exodus 5-6 - The Life of Moses

Last week we learned that when God calls you, He will equip you and He will be with you through it all.  Moses considered himself unworthy, not an eloquent speaker, he said no one will listen to him, and for God to send someone else.  Do those excuses sound familiar to you?  They sure do to me.  I've used them all at one time or another.  God told Moses He would teach him what to say, He would be with him, and He would sent his brother Aaron to go with Moses and speak for him.  Moses and Aaron obeyed God and followed His instructions.

Exodus 5:1-23 - Moses Meets With Pharaoh

Moses and Aaron had their first meeting with the Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'" - Ex. 5:1.  God's words carry with them His power to effect what they are saying.  The Bible is God's Word and is the highest authority.

Moses wanted the people to go into the desert to worship God.  Why in the desert?  Probably because since the Egyptians worship various animals, the Israelites didn't want to sacrifice their animals in front of the them.  This request was reasonable, because it showed respect to the Egyptians by going out into the desert.  And if the Egyptians saw these sacrifices, they might kill the Israelites.  Also the Israelites didn't want to offend them by throwing these sacrifices in their face.

This meeting with the Pharaoh was a disaster!  He didn't want to let them go.  He didn't know God.  He was full of himself and thought of himself as a god.  Instead of letting them go, the Pharaoh worked them even harder and even refused to supply them with the straw used to make the bricks.  They had to gather their own straw and still meet their quotas.  Of course they couldn't do it and the Israelite foremen were beaten. 

The slave drivers were Egyptians, but the foremen were Israelites.  The foremen had some belief.  They saw the signs and even worshiped God, but they went to Pharaoh and complained about the harsh treatment.  They lost focus and turned to Pharaoh instead of prayer to God.  Pharaoh didn't listen.  This showed courage on their part.  Pharaoh could have beat them, killed them, and done the same to the slaves. 

When have you turned to others in your circumstances instead of to God?

The foreman then went back to Moses and Aaron and blamed them for it all.  Moses and Aaron lost their credibility and were rejected by the people.  Again Moses questioned his qualifications.  Moses cried out to God, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people?  Is this why you sent me?  Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." - Ex. 5:22-23.

Moses was disappointed and doubted God or maybe himself that he wasn't doing his job right.  Maybe he felt guilty that he was making things worse.  He probably was embarrassed and humiliated, even fearful.

When has your obedience to God seemed to make things worse?

What did you do about it?
What situation will you allow God to transform your disappointment?
 
Principle:  Following God's call often results in difficult circumstances, requiring reliance on Him.

Exodus 6:1-27 - Moses Meets With God

Moses cried out to God.  He brought his real feelings to God.  There is power whenever we come to God.  Prayers not only is to ask God for things, but it also includes thanksgiving, and worship.  God never told Moses it would be easy.

God reassured Moses by saying "I am the Lord" and repeated this 4 times.  This showed that God is not nameless, that He desires to be known, that Pharaoh is not God, and that God would eventually free them.  He reminded Moses of the Covenant made with Abraham.

God used "I will" 7 times.  "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians,  I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.  I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.  Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.  And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.  I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord'". - Ex. 6:6-8.

Now Moses was ready to get back to work.  God told Moses to repeat this message to the people, which he did.  They did not listen.  They were discouraged.  Their spirit was broken, because of they were beaten down by their hard labor.  It's hard to keep the faith when your body is hurting.  You can't see the end in sight.  We don't always know the outcome of a situation.  We just have to trust that God will make all things right.

Principles: 

Crying out to God leads us to his presence, His perspective, and His peace.
Discouragement comes when we focus on our circumstances instead of God.

When have you been discouraged and what did you learn from it?

Just because Pharaoh would not let the people go doesn't mean he would not eventually let them go.  God would see to it.  "Because of my mighty hand he will let them go." - Ex. 6:1.  We will see in the next chapters how God's plan for the Egyptians would eventually free His people.

What do we learn about God in these chapters?  We learn that He is a promise keeper and a protector.  His is patient, compassionate, and sovereign.  His plan may not be obvious, but He does have one.  It may be hard until His plan comes to completion.

 

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Exodus 3-4 - The Life of Moses

Exodus 3:1-10 - God Calls Moses

Moses is now a shepherd in service of his father-in-law, Jethro.  Moses led his flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of Horeb (Sanai).  There an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from a burning bush. 

 

Mt. Horeb or Sanai was a special place where Moses went to be with God.  Do you have a special meeting place you go to be with God?  If not, find a place.  It might be your office, a corner of your bedroom, or just a chair somewhere in your house.  You will find as you make a habit of going to the same place each time, it will become easier to get in the right frame of mind to worship and hear from God.

Moses was intrigued by the burning bush and went over to get a closer look.  "God called out to Moses within the bush, Moses!  Moses! And Moses said Here I am.  Do not come any closer, God said.  Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." - Ex. 3:4-5.  God called Moses by name. This shows that God knows us personally by our names and that He loves us dearly.  

Moses sandals were dirty and removing them was a symbol for putting off all personal contamination and approaching God reverently showing respect for who God is.  Holiness is a characteristic of God that sets Him apart from sinful humanity.  He is righteous and sovereign.  God's holiness is used often throughout the Bible to describe God.  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." - Is. 6:3.

The angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses is Jesus Christ Himself (Gen. 16:7-13; Jud. 6:11-17).  Fire is a symbol for God.  The burning bush symbolizes God's presence at all time and in all things.  The bush was in fire, but was not burning up.  This represents Israel's judgment, but God will not let them be consumed or destroyed.  It shows God is powerful.  He is the Creator of nature and only He can break the laws of nature.

God had a message for Moses.  To put it simply, He wanted him to go to Egypt and rescue His people.  God had not forgotten His people, just the opposite.  He was concerned for them and His plan was for Moses to set them free.  God had promised Abraham in Gen 15 that He would make them a great nation and now it was time. 

Principle:  God personally reveals Himself to those He calls.

Do you know God is real?  To find out, step out and serve Him.  We all have excuses, but if God is in your calling you will know it.  He will reveal Himself to you.  Let Him break through your excuses.

How does He reveal Himself to you?

What has God asked you to do to help His people?

Exodus 3:11-4:17 - God Answers Moses

Moses had several excuses as to why he didn't want to go.  Sound like us, doesn't it?

He said "'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' and God said, 'I will be with you.  And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you.'" - Ex. 3:11-12.  "Moses said to God, ' Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, What is his name?  Then what shall I tell them?'  God Said to Moses, 'I Am Who I Am.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites; I Am has sent me to you.'" - Ex. 3:13-14.

"I Am Who I am" indicates that God is self-existent.  He has no origins and is answerable to no one.  He is eternal and unchangeable.  In John 8:58 Jesus revealed Himself as God. "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!"  Jesus is God!  He is the same God that created the universe, made a covenant with Abraham, and rescues His people.

God continues to tell Moses he was to go to the elders and promised they would listen.  They would go with him and the people would come out of Egypt with the Egyptians' blessing.  Now Moses has more excuses.  He said, what if they do not believe him.  God answered by giving Moses 3 signs: His rod became a snake and then changed back to a rod; God gave him power to heal leprosy; God gave him the ability to turn water to blood. - Ex. 4:1-9.

Moses still had another excuse.  He said he was not an eloquent speaker and was slow in speech and tongue.  God said He would help him speak and will teach him what to say. - Ex. 4:10-12.

Moses last objection was direct.  He said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it.  Then to Lord's anger burned against Moses." - Ex. 4:13-14.  God would solved that problem, too.  He would send his brother, Aaron to help him and God would tell him what to say.  Moses probably realized that he had run out of excuses and he better do what God said.

Principle:  God blesses our trusted obedience, not our excuses.

Our problems are not the problems of God.  The real problem is our lack of trust.  Saying "yes" to God is always worth the cost.

How have you objected to what God had told you to do?

How did God deal with your objections?

Exodus 4:18-31  God Sends Moses

Moses prepared to leave for Egypt by seeking permission from his father-in-law.  God told Moses that the men who wanted to kill him were now dead.  So Moses took his wife and sons and started back to Egypt.  He also took the staff of God in his hand. - Ex. 4:18-20.  The staff is a symbol of God's power.  We have a symbol today.  It's 2 boards nailed together, the Cross of Christ.  It is a sign of God's love and how He went to great lengths to save us.

Moses failed to circumcise one of his sons.  Ex. 4:24 says the Lord was about to kill him.  His wife, Zipporah saved him by doing it herself.  Why would God want to kill Moses?  Circumcision is the sign of the covenant.  It signifies purification and identification with God and the people of God.  Moses could not proceed on his course until he was right with God.

Moses and Aaron met in the desert and obey the Lord's instructions.  They brought the Israelite elders together, performed signs, gold them what God had said.  The result was that the Israelites believed God was concerned for them and they bowed down and worshiped.

Principle:  Following God's call will result in His worship.

When we worship, there is no room for pride.  Worship is our highest calling.  Serving God is our purpose.

How are you serving Him?

What are your excuses?
What steps will you take to worship and serve the great "I Am"?

Moses was 80 years old when God called him.  It's all about God's timing.

Will you trust God in His timing?

Where are you being overly impatient?
Do you believe that God is always with you?
Where will you dare to serve Him?

 

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Exodus 2:11-25 - The Life of Moses

When Moses was 40 years old, he visited his own people, the Israelites (Hebrews).  He saw their hard labor.  Then he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them.  He went to his defense and avenged the Hebrew by killing the Egyptian.  Moses couldn't stand injustice.  He always looked out for the weaker person.  He became known as a great emancipator. Moses looked around to see if anyone saw what he was about to do, because he knew killing was not right.  He saw the cruelty and was compelled to take action. (Ex. 2:11-13).  He looked this way and that way, but failed to look up at God.

What Moses did was wrong.  He had no authority to pronounce a death sentence on anyone.   As Christian we are tempted to use the world's method to achieve results, but we should remember that we are to use God's weapons of the truth - the Bible and prayer.  Moses' heart was right, but his actions were wrong.

Principle:  God's work must be done in God's way and in God's time.

Moses had some bad character traits.  He was filled with hate, anger, vengeance, arrogance, and was short-tempered.  Yet he also had good traits.  He was concerned for the weak, compassionate, brave, bold, and self-confident.

What character traits, good or bad, do others see in you?

Moses thought his own people would see him as their deliverer.  After all Moses had status and surely they would see how important he was.  (Acts 7:25).  His people did not see him that way.  They rejected his leadership.  In Heb. 11:24-36 Moses chose a hard life with God's people and refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.  By making this choice it cost Moses his status, power and wealth.  "He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." - Heb. 11:26.

When the Pharaoh heard about what Moses had done, he tried to kill him.  Moses knew he could not survive in Egypt and had to flee the country.  He fled to Midian.  Midian was a desert land.  Today is Saudi Arabia.  While there, Moses sat down to rest by a well.  The priest of Midian had 7 daughters and they came to draw water at the well to water their flock.  Some shepherds drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their flock. (Ex. 2:15-17).  Moses was repaid with kindness and was invited to stay with Reuel (Jethro), the priest.  Since Pharaoh wanted him dead, Moses had nowhere else to go so he took him up on his offer.  Moses was then given his daughter, Zipporah as his wife.  Zipporah gave birth to a son.  Moses named him Gersham saying, "I have become a alien in a foreign land." - Ex. 2:22.  Moses felt like a foreigner.  He was home sick for Egypt.

The Israelites remained in Egypt in slavery.  "The Israelites continue to be in slavery and cried out to God.  God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.  So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." - Ex. 2:24-25.  This doesn't mean God had forgotten about the Israelites, because it is impossible for God to forget his people.  In Deut. 4:31 He tells us, "For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath."  Maybe they thought He had forgotten them.  God knew their pain and their situation and was preparing them for the rescue to come.  He was preparing their deliverer, Moses.  God was about to do something great to set them free!

Principle:  God listens, remembers, understands, and keeps His promises.

What do you do when you face difficulties?

Do you turn to God?
 
Moses spent the next 40 years alone with his thoughts as a shepherd in Midian.  During those years he learned humility.  He learned to be patient and his over-zealous temper was smoothed. In Midian God was preparing Moses to deliver His people.  God didn't forsake Moses just because he did wrong in Egypt.  God continued to love him and use him to do His work just as He loves us and uses us no matter what we have done in the past.  Mistakes do not disqualify us for God's service.

What is God teaching you?

Are you depending on Him instead of yourself?
Have you been set in a solitary place?  Take that solitude as God's gift to you and learn to know Him in your quiet times through Bible study and prayer.

God is able to work in us to overcome our failures and then work in spite of them.  He is actively involved in our lives.  He hears our cries, he remembers us, and He watches over us.  God remembers our faith, in spite of our failures.  Moses is praised for his faith 3 times in Heb. 11 and not once is his sin of murdering the Egyptian mentioned.  God says, "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." -  Heb. 8:12.

Principle:  Go remembers our faith, in spite of our failures.

God took care of Moses and the Israelites.  How has God cared for you this week?

Moses wrote the book of Exodus.  He didn't tell all about his accomplishments.  He told about his sins and failures.  Moses' parents must have planted seeds in his heart to glorify God for him to choose his people over wealth and status.  He must have been sensitive to the Holy Spirit in his life and he made a choice to surrender to God.

What do you value in life? 

Do you value worldly possession or glorifying God?
Have you ever moved away from your comfort to serve God?

Principle:  God calls us to surrender our worldly desires to His heavenly plans.

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The Life of Moses - Exodus 1 - 2:1-10

Background of Egypt

Egypt was a fertile country and has been described as "the gift of the Nile".  It was extremely prosperous, wealthy, and sophisticated.  It excelled in art and music.  It had remarkable mathematical and engineering skills.  It was a pagan land and depicted its gods as animals like bulls, cows, birds, etc. 

Exodus 1 - The Plan of Persecution

This first chapter of Exodus describes how the Israelites became slaves to Egypt.  If you remember in our Genesis study, Joseph was the great-grandson of Abraham and listened to God's voice.  Because of his wisdom and administration he was lifted to a high and honored office in Egypt.  There was a famine in all the land, but through Joseph's planning and God guidance Egypt prospered.  Joseph saved Egypt and the world.  He brought his family to Egypt where they prospered and lived peacefully as they increased in number.  God had promised Abraham that He would give them the Promised Land and that his descendants would increase and they would become a great nation.  That promise was coming true in Egypt. 

Now Joseph and all of his generation had died and the Israelites continued to be fruitful and multiply greatly.  They were now living under a new Pharaoh.  The Israelites had become so numerous that the new Pharaoh was afraid they would start to fight against him.  He did not know the history of Abraham and Joseph.  All he knew was "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.  Come we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." - Ex. 1:9-10.  Pharaoh feared man, not God.  He was insecure and his ego took over.

Principle: Where fear of the Lord is absent, sin spirals.

What is fear of God?  Fear is to recognize God as Creator and Father.  We are His children and have a healthy respect for Him.  If you fear God, you fear nothing else.

What do you fear?

Who do you fear?
Do you fear consequences more than truth?
Do you fear God more than the cost of serving Him?

Satan hates the Jews because God promised to send the messiah through them.  That's why he stirred up Pharaoh against the Israelites to destroy the line of Christ.  He uses our fear, too.  We need to talk to God when we are afraid.  Name your fear to God.  Nervousness is fear.  Concern is fear.  Satan wants to destroy our relationship with Christ.  He wants to weaken our confidence so we will pass it on to the next generation. 

The Pharaoh came up with a plan of slave labor to control them.  He decided to make slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor.  But still they multiplied.  The Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.  They made their lives bitter with hard labor, but the Israelites multiplied even more. - Ex. 1:11-14.

Since the Pharaoh's plan didn't work, he came up with a second plan.  He wanted to kill every new boy baby born to the Israelites.  He told two Hebrew midwives (Shiphrah and Puah) when they helped the women in childbirth and in their delivery, if the baby is a boy they were to kill it.  They were to let the baby girls live.  This didn't work either, because the midwives feared God and bravely obeyed God rather than Pharaoh and let the boys live. - Ex. 1:15-19.  "So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.  And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own." - Ex. 1:20-21.  Usually midwives were chosen because they could not have children, but God blessed them with children, because of their obedience to Him.

Shiphrah and Puah means beauty and splendor.  They risked persecution and even death, but they had faith and trusted in God.  The world exalts the great and despises the lowly, but God's way is different.  It is the exalted who are brought lowly and the lowly who are exalted, if they do the right thing out of reverence for God.  These midwives take their place beside other honored Gentiles like Rahab.  It is significant that God preserved their names, but not the name of the Pharaoh.

Are you humble and willing to be among the weak and despised of this world so God can work through you?

Do you glorify God in all you do?
 
Pharaoh had a third plan, since the first two didn't work.  He ordered every boy that was born to be thrown into the Nile. - Ex. 1:22.  Of course that didn't work either.  God had a plan and when He has a plan no one can stop Him.

How do you respond to your suffering?

Do you trust God that everything will turn out alright?

Principles: 

Where fear of God is present, there is wisdom and protection.
God is sovereign and in control.
God rewards those who obey and worship Him.
Healthy fear in God is revealed by trusting God.
 
Where are you trying to cling to safety?  Trust His protection.  The safest thing is to be obedient to God even if you have to take risks.

God has preserved the Jews throughout history.  The Nazis killed 6 million Jews thinking they had the final solution to the Jewish problem, but today more Jews are alive than ever before.  God has continued to protect them as a nation just as He promised Abraham.

Exodus 2:1-10 - Birth of Moses

Amram and Jochabed had two children, Aaron and Miriam.  This family was a believing family.  Even their names had spiritually meaningful names.  Then they had a baby boy named Moses.  Moses was a beautiful child and perhaps his mother thought he was  special baby.  "... they saw he was no ordinary child..." - Heb. 11:23.  They wanted to protect him and as any parent would, so they did what they could.  They hid him for three months, then they devised a plan to save him from being thrown into the Nile.  They trusted God more than they feared Pharaoh.  They made a basket and placed him in it and put him afloat in the Nile among the plants where it would not float away.  The place they chose was a place where to Pharaoh's daughter might find him. 

Moses' mother waited with true faith to see how God would save Moses.  Miriam watched at a distance until the he was found.  God is a God of every circumstance.  He guided the princess to the exact spot where Moses was.  She found him and instead of throwing him into the Nile as her father had instructed, she saw him crying and felt sorry for him.  He melted her heart.  She recognized him as a Hebrew baby and wondered how she would raise him.  Miriam ask if she could get one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for her.  That seemed like a good solution so Miriam quickly returned with Moses' mother.  Jochabed received her son again and was even paid to take care of him.  She had him until he was older and could be adopted by the princess.  The princess gave him the name of Moses meaning, "I drew him out of the water".

How can you exercise faith in God?

What situation do you face which you plan to trust God for the outcome?
How has God kept you safe and provided for you?

Nowhere in this story is God's name mentioned.  Yet we know He was there.  We don't always know or understand how God works in the world, but it is obvious that God is somehow at work in this story.  I love how God orchestrated the whole thing.  He was in charge of it all and brought His plan to be.

Principles: 

God protects and prepares His people to accomplish His plan.
God is a God of providence.
The root for salvation is fear of the Lord.
 
God protected Moses and had a plan.  He has a plan for our lives as well.  Do you believe this for your life?

A baby was born to a slave couple in dangerous circumstances, but turned out to be the greatest human emancipator and lawgiver the world has ever known.  His story was the story of the founding of a nation.  Moses is a type of Christ born of poor parents in a remote area then became the world's Savior.  In both Moses and Jesus, God brings deliverance and salvation.  There will be many miracles in the life of Moses and of God working through him to deliver the people.  There are more miracles in connection with Moses than with any other Bible character, except Jesus.  God is at work in your life even if you never recognize a miracle or answer to prayers.

Will you recognize His work and thank Him?

Will you trust God in all things, good or bad?
 
Follow my weekly posts as we continue the study of the Life of Moses.

Introduction to the Life of Moses

Why should we study the Bible?  It is the most valuable book in the world and of all time.  It's God's gift to us.  He has protected it down through the ages.  It is truth and its author is God.  "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  - 2 Tim. 3:16.  In other words it is the speaking of God.  God uses the Bible to reveal Himself to us.  The thread of how to be saved is in every single book.  God spoke through several men as they wrote different books of the Bible.  "For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." - 2 Peter 1:21.

Its purpose is to lead us to belief in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is all through the Bible not just in the New Testament.  As we read and study the Bible, we need to apply it to our lives.  The Holy Spirit helps us to understand it.  We can't do it by ourselves.  Stop and ask God to give you the Holy Spirit to help you understand and hear God speak to you.

Are you willing to let the Bible influence your life?

Do you base decisions on what others tell you or do you seek God for answers?

Principles: 

God's Word reveals His character, His purposes, and His plans.
God's Word reveals His promises and His path to our redemption.
God's Word reveals His power in those who put their faith in Him alone.

Moses is a very important person in the OT.  His name is used 804 times in both the OT and the NT.  He was a humble, courageous, and a great leader.  God used Moses to lead Israel, establish the Hebrew people into a nation, and to lead them to the Promise Land.  Moses wrote the first 5 books.  The books of Exodus - Deuteronomy show the life of Moses.  Exodus means "to go out" or "exit".  God helped the Israelites to go out from Egypt. 

Moses was raised in the court of Egypt. He had the best of privileges and prestige and was exposed to the best educations and to the arts. This was all on the outside, but God knew his heart.  God put compassion in his heart for his people and used him to fulfill His plan in Egypt.  He had a heart full of faith.  Moses obeyed God though he did not know it all.  True faith recognizes its helplessness and has complete assurance of God's power.  God has something to teach you in the life of Moses.

Do you have a past you are ashamed of?  Moses had murder in his past.  God used Moses and He can use you, too.

Outline of Exodus - Deuteronomy

I.  Exodus - the first part of Moses' life; the Israelites trouble in Egypt; the events     and the plagues that led to the Israelites to leave Egypt; how God gave the Law to   Moses (the Ten Commandments); how the Israelites built the special holy   tabernacle; rules of worship.
II. Leviticus - laws and instructions for offerings, rules for holy living, the Sabbath, feast and seasons; conditions for God's blessings.
III. Numbers - Israel's year while camped at the foot of Mount Sinai; the journey from       Israel from Mount Sinai to the east side of the Dead Sea; the preparations for           entering and conquering Canaan (the Promise Land).
IV.  Deuteronomy - Israel about to enter the Promise Land, Moses reminded them of    their history of being God's chosen people; Moses reminded them of God's laws        including the Ten Commandments; Moses reminded them of the covenant with       God.

Principles:

Exodus - God is redeemer of His people.  He dwells in our mists.
Leviticus - God is the Holy One and sets the standards for worship and how to live.
Numbers - God organizes and guides His people.
Deuteronomy - God is the Faithful Keeper.  He is Lord and is to be obeyed.

We will begin with the study of Exodus.  The book of Exodus emphasizes that God is holy and that He looks after His people.  God is Lord.  His Hebrew name is Yahweh.  His name means "the Person who lives for all time".  He called Himself "I Am" in Exodus 3:1-4.  We cannot understand His nature completely, but He shows Himself by His acts and commandments.  He loves and He forgives and He also punishes sin.  We gain more knowledge of Him through the His Word and through His Son, Jesus.

Follow my weekly posts for insights on the study of the Life of Moses.  We will begin with the book Exodus next week. 

Note:  Most of my posts will be a result of my studies through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).