Exodus: Journey to Freedom (4:18-31)

• February 27, 2023
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Exodus 4:18-31

It’s so good to be back with you. If you have your copy of God’s Word (and I hope you do), then let me invite you to turn with me to Exodus 4. The bulletin says that we’re going to cover the rest of chapter 4, all of chapter 5, and the first verse of chapter 6. Well, I lied. (Not really.) I had hoped to bridge that gap, but with my vacation, a short week, and a Board Meeting at Tamassee yesterday, I just couldn’t get there.

Some of you are secretly smiling and thinking, “Oh boy, we’re going to get out early today.” In the words of the great theologian Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend. Not so fast.” We’ll see. We’re only going to cover the rest of chapter 4, today. Let’s read Exodus 4:18-31:

18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is My firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let My son go that he may serve Me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So He let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So, he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him to speak, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

What you’ve just heard is the authentic and true Word of God for us, His people. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray:

“Again, we thank You, Lord, for the glorious message contained in the pages of the book of Exodus. It so richly declares the absolute supremacy of You – the great “I AM” – and Jesus, the one who Himself said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58). And we thank You that in Christ Jesus we, like the Israelites of old, received our great salvation from the bondage of our slavery to sin. Would You, even now, open our eyes and our hearts to understand and embrace this gospel fully. For we ask it in Jesus’ name, amen.”

This morning, I just want to try and quickly walk us through the movements of these verses. In fact, my points this morning aren’t, as much, principles of biblical truth – as I frequently try to craft them – as much as they are simple waypoints or mile markers in the biblical narrative. I’m going to do more teaching today, than preaching. The first mile marker is what I’m simply calling…

Moses’ Return to Egypt

He goes to his father-in-law and politely asks to be released from his job. Remember, Moses has been tending his father-in-law’s sheep for some 40 years. So, he’s not only desiring to leave his employment on good terms, but he’s also looking for a blessing. Not a blessing that all might go well, though that would be nice too, but a blessing because he would be taking Zipporah with him. He’s looking for a family blessing. And that’s exactly what he got – “Go in peace.”

Now, before we jump into some thorny issues, I just want to help us see another connection here between Moses and Jesus. We know that Moses was a “type” of Christ, a foreshadowing of Jesus, a “picture” if you will. Hebrews 3 makes this abundantly clear, “…consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed Him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. [N]ow Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son” (Hebrews 3:1b-3a, 5-6a). So, the author of Hebrews draws this line from Moses to Jesus – not to make them equal but to show the Jesus is greater than Moses. Right? So, Moses is a “type” or a “picture” of Jesus.

Now, look at Exodus 4:19-20, “And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.’ So, Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt.” Now, listen to Matthew 2:19-20, “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel.”

“Okay, pastor, that’s great, but what does that mean for me?” Well, if you’ve ever wondered whether or not what we have in this book is the Word of God, then this connection ought to serve as one of many assurances. I find it incredibly comforting to know that there are these connections between the Old and New Testaments, not to mention that it’s just plain cool.

Think about it. What’s Moses going to Egypt to do? (Confront Pharaoh and serve as the “rescuer” of the people of Israel, right.) In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, what’s Jesus going to do for Israel? (Rescue them from sin, right. But not only them, all of mankind, too.) Do you see how the book of Exodus and the Bible, as a whole, continually tell the gospel story? This is another one of those places in the Old Testament where there’s a sliver of light shining forth the truth of Jesus.

Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart

What’s that all about. Well, there’s so much that can be said here. In fact, we’re actually going to address it in more detail in future weeks but, for now, just notice that God, in hardening Pharaoh’s heart, is able to fully showcase His power over His enemies and over the enemies of His people.

God’s sovereignty over Pharaoh isn’t meant to cause us to say, “Oh, poor Pharaoh, if God would’ve just left you alone then you would’ve worshipped him.” No, he wouldn’t. Every Pharaoh that we’ve encountered since Joseph died at the beginning of the book has not known God, nor have they shown any signs of wanting to know God or worship God. The way that the Pharaoh’s have treated the Israelites is enough evidence to confirm the state of their hearts.

Look, if this Pharaoh, or any Pharaoh wanted to give us an indication that they believed in God, then simply treating the Israelites with dignity and respect would be step one. So, don’t allow yourself to read God hardening Pharaoh’s heart as an opportunity to begin wagging your finger at God saying, “See, God, You’re a mean, vengeful, brute. It’s all You’re fault God.” Don’t do that. This is about God demonstrating that He’s in control – not Satan, not Pharaoh, not Moses, not Biden, not Putin, not Zelensky, not anybody – only God. God is on the throne and He’s in control. That’s what this hardening stuff is all about.

Listen, in both my personal/pastoral life I try not to use absolute terms like “always” and “never.” But I’m going to here. Never… ever… blame God for sin. Remember, if God is who He says He is and who the Bible says He is, then we never have the right to point the finger at God and tell Him that sin is His fault.

Do you remember Job? That’s what he came very close to doing and do you remember how God responded? “Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and [you’re gonna] answer them” (Job 38:2-3, NLT). And then God unleashes four (4) solid chapters of questions: “Where were you when I formed the earth? Can you tell the waves to come this far and no farther? Have you ever made the sun come up in the morning or the moon at night? Do you know where I keep the storehouses of snow?” Then, Job tries to interrupt for an apology and God says, “Will you even put Me in the wrong? Will you condemn Me [just so] that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His? ‘[Go on, then] Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. [Right now; do it!]” (Job 40:8-10, paraphrased).

And do you remember how Job finally responds? “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You. [God,] You asked, ‘Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorance?’ It’s me – and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. [LORD] You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:2-6, NLT).

Folks, God is perfect. May we never forget that. Yes, we might not have all of the answers and there might be questions that puzzle us all the way up to our deaths, may we always view God as holy and righteous in everything.

God Wants to Kill Somebody

Notice that I was careful not to say that God wanted to kill Moses. It’s so easy to read Exodus 4:24 and think that the word “him” is a reference to Moses. In fact, several Bible translations make it almost impossible not to think it was Moses. The NIV, the NASB, the CEV and others actually translate it as Moses, but the Hebrew word is “him,” and there’s nothing in the text that says it has to refer to Moses. Remember, according to verse 20, Moses took his wife and his two sons with him. So, the “him” could be a reference to Moses’ oldest son, Gershom, or his youngest son, Eliezer. I happen to believe that it’s Gershom (the oldest) that God was intent on killing him; not Moses.

So, if I’m right (and let’s just agree that I am), then at least we can wipe our heads and say, “Thank goodness, God wasn’t going to kill the very person He called to deliver the Israelites. That’s just weird. Save Moses from death at birth and then again at middle-age, call him to be Your ambassador to Egypt (so to speak) and then kill him. That’s strange.” But that still leaves us with the question: why did God want to kill Gershom? And the answer is because Moses had failed to circumcise him. As Dr. Douglas Stuart put it, “God wasn’t going to allow someone (Gershom) to get into Egypt alive without a decisive change in his circumcision status.” But why? Because it was the preeminent sign of the covenant people of God, and God was in the process of answering His own covenant.

For either Gershom or Eliezer (or both) to be a part of the rescue and delivery team that was inaugurating the covenant, and for one (or both) of them not to carry the sign of the covenant would impugn God’s own righteousness and character. Remember . . . the covenant that we’re talking about is a covenant that God Himself established with Abraham (back in Genesis 15). And do you remember who ratified the covenant? Who was it that signed, sealed and delivered the covenant to Abraham as a sure thing? (It was God.) So, not only did God create the covenant, but He also guaranteed it by His own Word. So, to go against the covenant by not having the sign of the covenant would make God a liar.

This little story reminds us that we’re only right with God through blood and His covenant promises. Apart from the shedding of blood, Gershom and/or Eliezer were no different from the Egyptians – that is, they were dead men. The same is true for you and me. Apart from the shedding of blood and God’s covenant promise we’re as good as dead. That’s where Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary comes in. Without the shedding of Jesus’ blood and the work of the Holy Spirit circumcising our hearts, we have no hope.

Listen to what the Bible says, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, [in order] that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). The Prophet Jeremiah puts it like this, “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or [God’s] wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4). God said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome says, “circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter [of the Law]” (Romans 2:29).

When these passages refer to a “circumcision of the heart” it’s referring to our salvation by faith. Like Gershom, we don’t get to be a part of the group heading to the Promised Land unless our hearts have been transformed, unless there’s been a supernatural surgery. And so, we see Zipporah spring into action. We aren’t told how she knew that death was coming for her son, but however it happened, she quickly took the flint and performed the surgery.

Now, verse 25 is almost as confusing as verse 24. Again, the NIV, the ESV, the NKJV, and many others have Zipporah touching Moses’ feet with the foreskin. What’s that all about? Well, again, Moses’ name isn’t mentioned in the original Hebrew. So, if you have a Bible that includes Moses’ name, then just know that the translators were trying to help but might have made it a little more confusing.

So, she was either touching Moses’ feet or she was touching Gershom’s feet. But that’s still a little weird. What do feet have to do with anything? Well, they don’t. That’s a Hebrew euphemism. It’s a manner of speaking. In English we might say something like “she’s under the weather.” What does that mean? (She’s sick.) Here’s another one, “John passed away, yesterday.” What are we saying? (He died.) Or sometimes we say, “I’m between jobs vs. I’m unemployed.” In Hebrew, to “touch [a man’s] feet” was a nice/polite way of saying that you were touching his stones, his jewels.

Remember, it was not the wife’s responsibility to perform the circumcision, so she’s just doing the best she could, based on the little that she knew from her father’s priestly duty. She takes the foreskin and touches Gershon’s crotch and repeats the words she understood to be godly and proper in hopes that it might create the covenant he needed. Basically, it was as if Zipporah was saying, “since we’re related, I can do this on your behalf.”

And this little episode (as strange as it might be) actually fits nicely because God had just informed Moses (in vss. 22-23) that when he saw Pharaoh, he was supposed to tell him that if he didn’t let the Israelites go… (what would happen?) God would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son. And this little story about Gershom is like Moses saying, “Hey, I know that God meant what He said about killing Pharaoh’s firstborn son due to his disobedience. How do I know, because He was going to kill my first-born son over my disobedience too.”

Hopefully, that helps. If not, I have a stack of commentaries and you’re welcome to do your own research. That brings us to the final movement…

A Family Worships Together

Two weeks ago, when we were considering Moses’ five (5) excuses, one of them was that he couldn’t speak well (4:14) and God said, “Hey, don’t you have a brother named Aaron? Of course, you do. I know he can speak well – after all, I made Aaron just like I made you, with all your moaning and complaining. Aaron is already on his way out here to meet up with you, and he’ll be glad to see you.”

Moses tells Aaron everything that God has told him. Moses shows Aaron the signs that he’s supposed to do in front of Pharaoh, and the two brothers gather the elders of Israel. Aaron speaks and Moses shows the signs and the people believed (v. 31). When the Israelites heard from Moses (via Aaron) that God had visited him and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Throughout the book of Exodus and throughout the Bible and throughout redemptive history, God is a God who pays attention to His people; He looks after His people; He gets involved in the situation and rescues them. Our ability to see and understand God in this way should lead us to give Him glory and honor and praise and exaltation.

He’s come to us in our slavery and freed us, through Christ Jesus. And now, as His people, we’re called to pay attention to those in affliction – those with spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs. Do you know our God – the One that has come to us in the person of Jesus, the One who said, “I am the bread of life. I am the door. I am the vine. I am the way, the truth and the life. I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life” (John 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15). Do you know Jesus?

Worship (featuring Dr. Allen McWhite)

• February 22, 2023
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Exodus: Journey to Freedom (3:11-4:17)

• February 13, 2023
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Exodus 3:11-4:17

Well, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Exodus 3. We’re going to cover a lot of territory today – the rest of chapter 3 and half of chapter 4 – so buckle your seatbelts, because we’re going to have to move pretty quickly. Which reminds me of a UPI news story I saw not too long ago. The Metropolitan Insurance Company received some unusual explanations (read “excuses”) for the auto accidents of its policyholders and shared them. Here are few:

• An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished. (Gotta hate those invisible cars.)
• The other car collided with mine without warning me of its intention.
• I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident. (That one is for Moses.)
• As I reached the intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision.
• The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path, but it hit me anyway.
• The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
• The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him. (Think 1980’s Atari – Pole Position.)
• The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him. (Picture a squirrel.)
• I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.

Someone once said (and rightly so), “Excuses are like armpits. We all have them, and they stink.” Today, we’re going to continue the narrative that started last week when Moses encountered God in the burning bush. You’ll recall that Israel finally cried out to God and their prayer went up to heaven and God determined to honor His covenant and come to their rescue. And God’s plan to Moses is in verse 10, which is where we left off, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Let’s pick up with verse 11 and read through chapter 4:17; I want you to be on the lookout for the five (5) excuses that Moses offers God.

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So, you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” 2 The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So, he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail” – so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand – 5 “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So, he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and He said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

“Gracious God, as we turn now to the Bible, we pray for the help of the Holy Spirit, in preaching and listening – that we might understand, believe, obey, and live in the light of its truth. Accomplish your purposes in us, Lord, we pray. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.”

These verses are all about God’s sufficiency. It’s a deeply encouraging bit of scripture. If you ever feel as though God is sending you to do something beyond yourself, then this ought to remind you that God is sovereign and powerful. Not only does God have the “right” to rule, but He also has the power to see to it that His plans are worked out according to His will. Moses makes five excuses for not obeying God’s mission; and to each of those excuses God responds with some type of statement about His sovereignty and power. The first excuse is…

Moses’ Lack of Credentials (3:11-12)

Notice Exodus 3:11, “Who am I . . . ?” Have you ever said that to God? “God, have you considered my resume lately?” I can hear Moses now, “Um, yeah, you do know that I’m a fugitive, right? You do know that I killed an Egyptian. And for the last 40 years I’ve been in the wilderness shepherding sheep. God, I just don’t have what it takes to do this.” Think about it. Imagine a guy in coveralls carrying a wrench going up to the president and saying, “Hey buddy, let everybody go.”

Not only did Moses not think he had the ability, but he really didn’t have the reputation either. I mean, the last time he was in the presence of some of the Hebrews he kind of got into an argument with one of them and that guy didn’t like it too much. Remember? “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14).

Nevertheless, God promised to “be with Moses.” That’s what we hear all throughout the Bible. All the leaders that God has used, all the people He’s ever called have needed His reassuring presence. Think about Joseph, Joshua, Gideon, David, Mary, even the disciples. Does this sound familiar, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold (what’s the next line?), I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

God said He would be with Moses – and He’s with us too. And what’s more, God even gave Moses a sign, a guarantee, “all of you will worship Me back here on this mountain.” God was so sure of His plan and His ability – and why not; He’s God – that He told Moses exactly what they’d be doing the next time they were in this place. Who am I? A lack of credentials. The second excuse is…

Moses’ Lack of Content (3:13-22)

In verse 13 of chapter 3, Moses says, “What shall I say? What’s Your name? Suppose I do what You’re asking; Who am I supposed to say sent me? I ain’t just busting up into the palace on my own authority.” And for the first time in recorded history, at least as it’s recorded by Moses, God reveals His personal and covenantal name – Yahweh.

Now, most of you know this or have at least heard a little about it, but some of you haven’t. So, let me just unpack this name a little bit. The first thing to remember (or know) is that the original Hebrew of the Old Testament did not have vowels. It was a consonant-only language. Therefore, it’s really anybody’s best guess how God’s name is actually supposed to be pronounced.

Having said that, the Hebrew letters for God’s name are YHWH or YHVH, and it’s connected with the verb “to be”, which is why all of our Bibles translate God’s name as “I AM WHO I AM” or “I AM THAT I AM.” It’s a form of “to be.” And you’ll also notice that the English translators spell it with all capitals. In fact, when you encounter the word LORD (in all caps), then what you’re actually reading is this name “I AM.” If you’re reading the word Lord (in lower case), then you’re reading the Hebrew word Adonai or Elohim – those are titles.

But this name (Yahweh) points to God’s eternal nature, God’s eternal being. He has no beginning and no end. The Bible calls God the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 22:13). He’s self-existent and self-sufficient. He doesn’t need air or water. He doesn’t need sleep or food. He doesn’t even need you and me. I know that might shock some of us, but He doesn’t need anything or anyone in order to be God. Before the world was ever created, God was in perfect unity among Himself: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul would put it this way, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36).

And because He’s eternal and self-existent, we’ll never have Him totally figured out. God isn’t a book we read and then put on the shelf. He’s not a class we take – although we formally study Him in the science of theology. God is eternal and unchangeable (Malachi 3:6). He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He’s not getting better or worse, bigger or smaller. He’s infinitely perfect.

So, not only does God give Moses His name and tell Him to say that “I AM” sent me to you, but also, He tells Moses to give the elders a message, a word. What’s the message? There are three parts to the message. The first is found in the latter part of verse 16, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt.” The second part is found in verse 17, “I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, (the mosquito bites, the parasites, and the websites) [to] a land flowing with milk and honey.” And the third part is found in verse 18. It’s the message they’re supposed to give Pharaoh, “let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.”

The entire content of Moses’ message – everything from God’s personal name, to His delivering the people from slavery, to His giving them a land, and their ultimate journey into the wilderness – everything is ultimately about worship. And that’s the same message that we’re called to deliver. We’re called to tell people who God is (His name and all of His characteristics – His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, imminence, holiness, etc.) – and we’re called to tell them what He’s said (primarily what He’s done in the past, what He’s doing in the present, and what He’ll do in the future). All of that content is found in the Bible – His eternal Word.

So those are the excuses of no credentials (Who am I?) and no content (What do I say?). The next excuse is…

Moses’ Lack of Confidence (4:1-9)

Despite the fact that God just told Moses (in verse 18) that the elders and people of Israel would listen to him, he still lacked confidence. Notice verse 1 of chapter 4, “They won’t believe me. They won’t listen to me. Ain’t nobody going to believe that You appeared to me” (paraphrased). So, God gave Moses three signs of His power: power over things, power over people, and power over nature.

Real quick; the first sign was turning Moses’ staff into a snake and back into a staff. Cool miracle, right? But don’t overlook the fact that the staff became a snake. Have you ever noticed that the snake is largely associated with Egypt? And don’t forget the first time we’re introduced to a snake in the Bible. I think the real message of this sign was God’s authority over evil and, in particular, the Evil One. Moses was learning something about God’s divine authority here. Confidence booster? I would hope so.

The second sign was the sign of his hand and leprosy. The idea here is that his hand looked like death. It probably had the appearance of decomposition and death. You remember when Lazarus died and Jesus asked the people to remove the stone from the tomb? What did Martha say? “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39). That’s the picture we ought to have in our minds – not that Moses hand went from a well-bronzed desert suntan to a lily-white skin – but rather that it went from visibly living flesh to visibly dead flesh. It was a sign of God’s power over people, over disease and death. Confidence booster? You would think so.

The final sign was to draw some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground and it would become blood (note: the Bible doesn’t say that it will be like blood, but that it will become blood). There’s an obvious connection of this sign and the first plague but notice that this instance was done for the benefit of Israel, that they might be convinced of God’s hand upon Moses. In contrast, when God does this against Egypt, it’s a sign of His judgment. Are you confident, yet, Moses?

Before we scoff at Moses’ lack of confidence, think about your own lack of confidence. What’s our great sign of God’s divine authority and power today? (The empty tomb!) The empty tomb is the sign that Christianity is true. Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:39-40, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” When we lack confidence – and we all do from time to time – remember the resurrection. Our God is not dead; He’s alive! And He lives and reigns forevermore. Hallelujah!

Excuse of no credentials, no content, and no confidence. The fourth excuse is…

Moses’ Lack of Communication Skills (4:10-12)

For those of us that are familiar with Moses calling, this excuse is the one that we often remember – “I’m not eloquent. I’m slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). We don’t know exactly what Moses’ problem was, or if he even had a problem. It’s pure speculation. Some have suggested it was the normal fear of public speaking. Others suggest perhaps it was educational. He didn’t think he could persuade Pharaoh. Others say he felt too old. Maybe there was a vocal cord problem – a speech impediment of some type. Some say it was a verbal issue – being in the wilderness for 40 years and only talking to sheep, he forgot the language of Egypt.

I tend to think it was a false sense of humility. Kind of like me suggesting that Ray direct the Greenville Symphony at the Peace Center. While Ray is more than capable of doing that (and he is), he might say, “Man, you know me, I’m just a church worship leader. I can wave my arms around here, but I could never do that in front of all those people and in front of a TV audience.” I think Moses was hoping that he could just fake his way out of things. Whatever it was, it’s clear that Moses didn’t think he had the communication skills needed for the job.

It reminds me of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Moses had to depend on God and so do we.

Think about the lame excuses you’ve offered to God over the years. Many have said I can’t preach; I can’t teach, I can’t witness. The only thing we’re called to do is report the facts. Here’s what you say, “This is what I find so comforting about having a relationship with Jesus (then fill in the blank).” Or may you say, “This is what I’ve come to understand from reading the Bible (then fill in the blank).” Just report the facts. God (via the Holy Spirit) does the saving. God does the convincing. God is the One that changes the heart.

Finally, notice that God responds to Moses by saying your excuses are irreverent and irrelevant. God said, “Hey Moses, who do you suppose made your mouth? (Exodus 4:11). Don’t you think I know about your weaknesses? In fact, that’s precisely why I want to use you – so that I get the glory.” Then, to address the irrelevance, God said, “Would you hush. I’m going to be the One to give you the words to say anyway.”

So, we’ve seen the excuse of credentials, the excuse of content, the excuse of confidence, the excuse of communication skills, and finally…

Moses’ Lack of Commitment (4:13-17)

This last excuse (verse 13) isn’t really an excuse; it’s just a last-ditch effort to get out of the assignment. “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Notice that the word “Lord” isn’t capitalized, which means that Moses isn’t using God’s personal name. He’s using a title. It’s like us addressing a boss, “With all due respect, sir, you must know someone else who’s available to go.” Basically, I just don’t want to do it. And sometimes the boss says, “Ok, well, if you don’t want to do it, then don’t be surprised when I pass you over for the next promotion.” And he grants our request and lets us leave the office. Then, there are those times when the boss says, “Lee, you listen to me and you listen carefully. I’m not asking… I’m telling you; you’re going.” In those cases, not only do we not get our request, but we also realize that we’ve just stirred up the boss’s anger.

The dramatic difference between human anger and God’s anger is that God is righteous. And even in the midst of His anger, many times He offers us grace. James 1:20 says, “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Yet, even in the midst of pushing the limits, God was gracious. God used Aaron as a co-speaker, a companion, an encouragement.

What are the excuses that we come up with when we’re talking to God? Lack of credentials – Who am I? Lack of content – What do I say? Lack of confidence – Ain’t nobody gonna listen? Lack of communication skills – I’m no preacher…I’m no evangelist…I’m not good with words. Lack of commitment – Lord, just use somebody else. May we not arouse the Lord’s anger. Rather, may we trust that He knows what He’s doing. He knows everything about us – our strengths our weaknesses. It might just be our weakness that He wants to use. He’s already given us His Word; let’s just report the facts and leave the rest to Him.

“Our Father and our God, we all have excuses when it comes to being obedient to Your will and Your calling for our lives. Help us to see, in this encounter with Moses, that You’re always with us – You’ll give us the words to share – You’ll take care of changing hearts and minds if we’ll just trust and obey. For we ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Exodus: Journey to Freedom (2:23-3:10)

• February 6, 2023
• Pastor
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Exodus 2:23-3:10

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Exodus 2. This is our 5th Sunday in the book of Exodus and we’re finally turning the page to chapter 3. So, if you’re wondering, we should be finished by the time Jesus returns.

As you’re finding your spot, let me just give you a little timeline or framework. Chapters 1-2 cover almost 400 years (technically, it’s about 354 years), from the time that Jacob’s family comes to Egypt during the famine until Moses is born. Then, chapter 2 is broken into two parts. We saw that the last two weeks. The first 40 years of Moses’ life are verses 1-15, and the second 40 years are verses 16-22. So, when we pick things up in chapter 3 Moses is about 80 years old. Then, look at this, when you get to chapter 3 – all the way through chapter 38 – it’s just one year. So, we’re coming off this sprint through two chapters – at least chronologically – and now we’re going to be slowing things down almost step-by-step and day-by-day.

Hopefully, you’ve found your spot. Follow along with me, now, as I read Exodus 2:23-3:10.

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

“Speak, O Lord, as we come to You to receive the food of Your Holy Word; take Your truth, plant it deep in us, shape and fashion us in Your likeness. For we ask it in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Now, if you’ll remember, this entire story is set up in Exodus 1:8 with the words, “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” Things prior to that were relatively good for both Egyptians and Israelites. Folks knew Joseph. They knew his faith in the one true God, and they were benefactors as a result of God’s favor upon Joseph. But then, we have a new king that grows up and doesn’t know Joseph or Joseph’s God, and that’s when things begin to go downhill.

Well, now, in verse 23, that king – the one who didn’t know Joseph – he dies. And this gives way for a new pharaoh to come onto the scene, and that’s the pharaoh that we commonly associate with the book of Exodus. That’s what’s taking place right there in verse 23 – out with the old, bad pharaoh, the one that didn’t know Joseph, and in with a new pharaoh.

But notice that the change in government didn’t result in a change of conditions for the Israelites, because the verse continues “and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.”

Now, I’ve looked back over chapters 1-2 in both the English and Hebrew text and I can find no explicit indication that the Israelites ever called out to God in prayer. Yes, in chapter 1, we have the Hebrew midwives who didn’t carry out the command of the pharaoh because they “feared God,” (1:17) but that’s not an explicit statement of prayer. Yes, we have those parallel passages in Acts 7 and Hebrews 11 that speak of the faith of Moses’ family, and even Moses himself. But still, there’s no explicit language that suggests the people of Israel were lifting their cries to the Lord.

You say, “Come on, pastor. Surely, the people were praying. They’ve been under extreme labor and oppression for hundreds of years. The Bible doesn’t actually have to say that they prayed for us to make that assumption.” That’s true. All that I’m saying is that there’s nothing explicit in the text (prior to chapter 2:23) that says they did. So, it could be equally valid that during all of this time the vast majority of the Israelites had fallen into pagan idolatry and were worshipping Egyptian gods.

And if you’re honest with yourself and you think about your own life, we’re guilty of the same pattern. Maybe not guilty for hundreds of years, but often times we’re hesitant to turn to the Lord, to cry out to God, to look to Him. We try to handle everything for ourself. We try to tough it out. We try to have a stiff upper lip. We try to push through all of these things in our day-to-day lives, and only when it becomes incredibly unbearable do we ever think of crying out to God.

But, even though the word “prayer” isn’t explicitly used here, notice that their cry “came up to God.” Listen, the exodus didn’t come about simply because people were in trouble; if that were the case, God certainly could have moved on their behalf prior to this point. No, the exodus was the result of a prayer of lament for rescue to the only One who could actually do something about it. And that leads us to the first point today…

God Recalls His Covenant (vss. 23-25)

In verses 24-25 notice that there are four (4) verbs associated with God: He hears, He remembers, He sees, and He knows. Now, we don’t have too much trouble understanding 75% of that. We get that He sees us and hears us. We’ve got that. We know Psalm 34:15 and 1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer.” We get that. And we understand that God knows everything. We know Psalm 139:1-4, “O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.” We get that God is all-knowing – He’s omniscient. Those are the parts that we understand; no, it’s the “God remembering” part that we need a little help with.

Well, suffice it to say that the Hebrew word zakar (translated as “remember”) never implies that God forgot anything or had anything pushed to the back of His mind. Rather, the word zakar is a way of talking about God applying His earlier covenant, rather than recollecting it. In other words, to say “God remembered His covenant” is to say that “God decided to honor the terms of His covenant at this time.” So, it’s really more about timing and application, than it is about a loss of memory.

And, what were the terms of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Number one: the general promise of greatness (already largely achieved). Number two: the general promise of blessing – including protection (now needing to be addressed). And number three: the specific promise to punish any nation that oppressed Israel (something that’s forthcoming). So, God hears, God sees, God knows, and God remembers His covenant. But what does that have to do with us?

Jeremiah’s prophecy to the nation of Israel, hundreds of years after the exodus, went like this: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

That “old covenant” – the one that was established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one that was put into action here in Exodus – has been superseded by the “new covenant.” And if you belong to God through Jesus Christ, then you belong to His eternal covenant, “His never-stopping, never-giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.” In your time of greatest need – whatever it may be – then, like the Israelites, you can be assured that God will hear you, God will see you, God will know you, and God will honor the terms of His covenant at the right time.

And in just a moment we’re going to slow down and remind ourselves of that, as we come to the Lord’s Table to remember His work of salvation. And now, I want us to see the second thing and that is…

God Reveals His Identity (vss. 1-6)

Outside of the Red Sea crossing, this might be the other major event of the Exodus story that we all remember – the burning bush. I don’t want to re-read these verses. We’re all familiar with the narrative. Moses is out tending the flock of his father-in-law and he comes to a mountain called Horeb. Now, this is quite likely the same mountain as Mount Sinai that we’ll encounter later. I hope that doesn’t confuse you. It shouldn’t.

We know that people in the Bible often had two names, and the same is true for particular places. In fact, if you ever had the opportunity to talk with Janie Plumley or Inez or any of the other “original family” from our own mountain, then you know that brooks and streams and branches and hills and mountain sometimes went by one name to one family and another name by another family. It’s really rather common.

What’s important is that Moses calls it the “mountain of God” (3:1). In other words, it’s the mountain where God shows up. And that makes sense if you believe (as I do) that Horeb and Sinai are one and the same mountain, because when God shows up on that mountain things happen. Here, God reveals His identity to Moses for the very first time. And later, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments and all that Israel needs to be His faithful and obedient people.

So, we’re on the “mountain of God” where God shows up, and He shows up in a theophany. Now that’s a fancy word that basically means God appeared in some recognizable way to humans. You know, sometimes we might be talking to our friends about church or about some ministry or work that we’re engaged in and we’ll say something like, “God really showed up last night. God’s presence was real in that moment.”

When we say that we don’t literally mean that God left His heavenly dwelling and literally appeared to those of us gathered. At least, that’s not normally what we mean. We simply mean that God was working via the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of those that were present. But there are these occasional instances in the Bible where God shows up in a very real and literal way and people are able to literally see Him and communicate with Him, and He’s often associated with fire. And such was the case here.

Moses sees a bush and it’s on fire but it’s not being consumed. There’s a real, literal bush. This isn’t some figment of Moses’ imagination or some hallucination. There’s a real bush and there’s a real flame giving off real light. All of this catches Moses’ attention, and then in verse 3 we’re told that Moses turns aside to investigate this closer. When Moses turns toward the bush, God then begins to reveal Himself and He calls out from within the flaming bush, “Moses! Moses!”

I hate to even admit this, but I’m a big fan of the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory. There are so many reasons why I shouldn’t like the show, but I really enjoyed the comedy. And if you’re at all familiar with the show then you know that Dr. Sheldon Cooper would always knock and announce the person’s name three times. When my uncle was our Worship Leader, he would often knock on my door and do the same thing. Now, the reason that I tell you that is because in Semitic cultures, addressing someone by saying his/her name twice was a way of expressing endearment or affection or friendship.

In fact, this kind of encounter happens to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. It happened to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4). In Matthew’s gospel, when Jesus is on the cross, “He cried out in a loud voice ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46). So, Moses would’ve understood that he was being called by someone who loved him and was concerned about him. Those of us that have received Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior know what it’s like to have Him call our names. Let me ask you: Have you met Jesus? Have you heard Him call out your name?

And God begins (in verse 5) to teach Moses about the holy nature of His presence. “Stop! Take your shoes off! The place where you’re standing is holy ground!” Now this is important – 15/20/30 minutes before this encounter, there was nothing particularly holy about this spot. It was just any old rocky and dirty spot in the Midian desert. In fact, this particular spot (wherever it happened to be) ceased to be holy after this event too. The thing that makes this spot holy isn’t the spot itself. What is it that makes it holy? (The presence of God.)

We certainly want to treat this church respectfully and we want to be good stewards of the building, but folks this place is just a structure. May we be on guard against worshipping this place, or any place, even places that are associated with the Old/New Testament.

God introduces Himself to Moses as the God of his fathers, “‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” God was alluding to His covenant relationship that we spoke of earlier, but God was also giving Moses a bit of personal history. The God of the burning bush was not an unknown God; He was the God who acted on behalf of these earlier generations. Notice that He does not say “I was the God” but “I am the God.” God’s people never really die; rather, we’re part of an eternal relationship through Christ Jesus. In fact, when Jesus was proving the resurrection to the Sadducees, He quoted this verse. He said, “Haven’t you read . . . in the passage about the burning bush? . . . He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Mark 12:26-27).

So, they exchanged names. That’s the first step in forming a relationship with God. And that brings us to the final point…

God Relays His Plan (vss. 7-10)

Our God is a sending God. Notice three parts to this commission and we’ll be done.

First, God’s motive. It’s especially seen in verses 7 and 9. “I have observed . . . I have heard . . . I know about their sufferings. . . . The Israelites’ cry . . . has come to Me. . . . I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.” Earlier, we noticed how God was moved by an intimate knowledge of the slavery of His people. Here it is again. God hears the groans of people who genuinely cry out to Him.

In Luke 18:13, the tax collector beat his breast and cried out, “Turn Your wrath from me – a sinner!” Jesus said that the man “went down to his house justified” (Luke 18:14). A prayer that God hears is when a person genuinely cries out to God for mercy and forgiveness in repentance and faith. If you’ll cry out to Him, He’ll hear you and save you. It’s not about a magical formula. It’s about crying out over the misery of your sin and begging Jesus for mercy.

Second, notice God’s purpose. His purpose is to transfer His people. He will take them out of Egypt and put them in a place with milk and honey. It’s a land occupied by other nations, and we’ll cover that later. But God is going to save them from something (slavery) for something (worship and witness). That’s exactly what has happened to us in the gospel.

Third, and finally, see God’s plan. After revealing His great purpose of redemption, God told Moses the plan: “You’re it.” God says, “I am sending you” (v. 10). Our God is a sending God. Throughout the Bible, God sends people on different assignments covering a variety of issues. Joseph was sent to save lives in a famine (Genesis 45:5-8). Here, Moses was sent to deliver people from oppression and exploitation. Elijah was sent to influence the course of international politics (1 Kings 19:15-18). Jeremiah was sent to proclaim God’s word (Jeremiah 1:7). Jesus said that He was sent “to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). The disciples were sent to preach and demonstrate the power of the kingdom (Matthew 10:5-8). Paul and Barnabas were sent for famine relief (Acts 11:27-30), then they were sent for evangelism and church planting (Acts 13:1-3). Titus was sent to put a messed-up church in order (Titus 1:5).

Our God is a sending God. What’s He calling you to do? And more importantly, how are you going to respond?

“Father in heaven, we’re eternally grateful that You are a God who keeps His covenant. You keep Your Word. You’re trustworthy and true. So that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, whether good or bad, we can be assured that You will never leave us or forsake us. And because of Your Son and His willingness to die for us upon the cross of Calvary, we are in a covenant relationship with You. And just like the Israelites of old, one day You will return and gather us all home. Oh, what a glorious day that will be. Until then, we take this time to reflect upon and remember Your goodness, Your faithfulness, Your grace, love, and mercy through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Exodus: Journey to Freedom (2:11-22)

• January 30, 2023
• Pastor
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Exodus 2:11-22

As always, I hope you brought your copy of God’s Word with you. Let me invite you to turn with me to Exodus 2. If you don’t have a Bible, then there should be one in the pew rack in front of you, or you can follow along on the big screens. The reason that I encourage you to bring a Bible is because I will often reference or even read/quote from other scriptures, other verses, and you might want to see if what I’m telling you is indeed correct. You might, also, want to make little notes or marks in your Bible to jog your memory when you reread these verses weeks, months, and years later.

So, we’ve been introduced to the people, their prosperity, and the problem. We’ve been introduced to an evil king, a pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph, and his diabolical plan to rid Egypt of all the Jews. We’ve been introduced to two Hebrew midwives whose names are recorded for posterity’s sake. Last week, we saw the birth of Moses and the faithful activity of three women – Moses’ mom, his sister, and pharaoh’s daughter. Today, we’re going to see some of the choices that Moses makes.

Every one of us, every day, almost moment-by-moment makes choices. Some good. Some bad. It starts the moment we wake up and it doesn’t end until we go to sleep at night. Am I going to get up? Or not? If I get up, then what am I going to wear? What am I going to eat/drink? Do I turn right/left? The light is yellow; should I stop/go? Thankfully, most of those choices don’t result in a crisis. However, every crisis will result in choices. Let me repeat that. Most of the choices we make don’t result in a crisis, but every crisis will result in choices.

And this morning, we’re introduced to Moses and the choices that he makes that leads to a crisis in his life. Hopefully, you’ve found your spot. Follow along as I read Exodus 2:11-22:

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

“Father, we come now to these precious moments when, in the mystery of your purposes, we hear Your voice, although it’s only the voice of a mere man that speaks. You promised that when Your Word is truly preached, then Your voice will be truly heard. This turns our focus away from the preacher, and it turns our attention directly to the Bible. And so, we pray that we may lose sight of everyone and everything besides the Lord Jesus, Himself, as He is made known to us in the printed page. For we ask it in Christ’s name. Amen.”

Quite a bit of time has passed from the end of verse 10 to the beginning of verse 11. In fact, if you look back at Acts 7 – one of those parallel passages that I’ve referenced – then you know that Moses is now about 40 years old. So, most of Moses childhood is lost to us, which reminds me that this is one of those areas where Moses is similar to Jesus. Of course, the Lord was greater than Moses could ever be, which is what Hebrews 3 tells us, “For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses – as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.”

Nevertheless, there are several similarities of Moses’ life and Jesus. For example:

• Like Moses, Jesus was born to be the Savior and was rescued from an evil ruler at birth (Matthew 2:16).
• Like Moses, Jesus journeyed to Egypt: “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Matthew 2:15).
• Like Moses, there were “silent years” that preceded His public ministry.
• Like Moses and the Israelites who wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11),
• Like Moses, who received the Law on Mount Sinai, Jesus went to a high mountain and, in His Sermon on the Mount, gave the law newer and greater meaning.

Of course, as I’ve already said, Jesus transcends Moses in every way. Jesus is without sin, and Jesus is fully God. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us when we see Moses fail. Every mediator, rescuer, deliver, prophet, everyone in the Old Testament (and the New Testament for that matter) failed at some level. The Apostle Paul says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus never did. Only He is perfect.

And that leads us to the first thing I want us to see this morning…

Moses’ Failure

One of the things you’ll discover about the Bible, if you haven’t already, is that it’s honest. Think about it. If you were going to write a story about your life, your family, this church, or even this wonderful community would you include the sordid details of your moral failures and your character weaknesses? Oh sure, we might say something like, “I made a few mistakes, or I wasn’t always the best, or I made a lot of wrong choices, or if you only knew how bad I was then…” Most ancient Near East literature casts its heroes in unrealistically good light. But not the Bible. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the three primary patriarchs of Moses’ day – all lied and were extremely deceitful. Adam, Eve, Noah, Aaron, King David, Peter, the Apostle Paul, even our friend Moses, all of them made choices that were sinful.

One of the things that we see change in Moses’ life is his identity, his relationship with the Israelites. Notice verse 11 says, “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.” Three times, the text emphasizes Moses’ view of the Israelites as being “his people.”

I’ve already referenced Acts 7, as being one of those parallel passages to the Exodus story. And, just a moment ago, I read from Hebrews 3 that says Jesus is greater than Moses. Last week, I also mentioned another one of those parallel passages from the New Testament – Hebrews 11. It provides us with this detail about Moses’ life at this time. It says, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).

You say, “Pastor, I thought this was about Moses’ failure, but you’re talking about him identifying with the Hebrews. I don’t follow?” Moses was faced with a decision about how to handle the situation, and the choice that he made was informed by his identity with the Hebrews. This is indeed a rash act of violence – a murder, even. But even if it’s motivated by good intentions, nevertheless, we have no way of excusing it. Just because the Israelites are being oppressed doesn’t make Moses’ decision to murder right or godly.

Verse 12 continues, “He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” Moses makes his first bad choice right here. He looks left and he looks right. Shoot, he even looks down to bury the guy in the sand, but he never looks (where?) up. And we do the same thing. We look this way and that way – “It’s all clear” – and rarely, if ever, do we give any thought to looking vertical in prayer. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Whenever we act, even as Christians, in the impulses of our flesh, there always has to be a cover up. We have to cover something up. When we’re not walking in the Spirit we’re walking in the flesh – fulfilling the desires of the flesh, going out and sinning. Then, we have a feeling that we have to cover that up.

All of us have failed. We’ve all committed a felony. No, it’s not necessarily something that will land us in a Federal or State prison, but sin definitely puts us outside the fellowship of God. Thankfully, we have the assurance of 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Moses’ Flight

That brings us to verses 13-15 and Moses’ flight. The next day he sees two Hebrews struggling and one of them calls him out, “Hey, you gonna knock me off like you did that Egyptian the other day?” Moses now finds himself between a rock and a hard spot. What he tried to do it in the flesh has backfired. He certainly thought what he had done was the right thing, but this Israelite saw it differently. Verse 14, “Who made you a prince and judge over us?” This guy, and maybe many other Israelites, didn’t like the idea of this johnny-come-lately trying to pass himself off as their defender.

It’s not difficult to imagine why Moses was disliked by his own people. Let’s leave aside the fact that he’s been living it up in the lap of luxury the past 36 years or so. An Egyptian slave master is missing. That means an investigation. If not already underway, certainly it would be soon. And there’s no doubt in the minds of many Hebrews (certainly this guy) that the Israelites will be blamed, and their punishment will be made worse. So, Moses isn’t received well by the Hebrews.

But he’s not really free to return to the palace either, as verse 15 says “When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.” Moses tried to do it his way – the Egyptian way. He’s part of the royal family. He’s the Egyptian in control. He can take life. But that doesn’t sit well with Pharaoh. Why? Because he couldn’t have a turncoat Hebrew-raised-as-an-Egyptian now killing Egyptian supervisors. So, this whole ordeal has really put Moses in a bind. He was thinking he was doing the right thing and now everything’s a mess. You’ve been there, right?

But here’s where God begins to work in Moses’ life in a way that Moses wouldn’t have recognized at the time – just as we can virtually never understand how our own miseries and misfortunes, at the time we’re experiencing them, might end up leading to a blessing. I’m reminded of Isaiah 55:8, where God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). And even when we make very poor decisions in our own strength and our own will, when we yield ourselves to the Lord, somehow, in some way, He brings some good out of them.

What does Romans 8:28 say, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). So, God uses these bad decisions to clearly separate Moses from his Egyptian ties and begin to build Moses up for His ultimate purpose – to deliver the Israelites from bondage.

Perhaps you’re here this morning, and you can identify with Moses’ failure. Maybe not murder, but there have been more than enough bad decisions and sinful actions in your life. In fact, you still feel the weight of sin and shame and regret – even now – bearing down on your heart. And as you survey your past there’s just no way that God can, as the psalmist says, “turn [your] mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11), or as the songwriter puts it “give beauty for ashes and turn shame into glory” (Graves Into Gardens, Elevation Worship). But I want you to know, there’s nothing impossible for our God.

The Apostle Paul murdered Christians for a living, and yet he was redeemed and forgiven. When Jesus needed him most, Peter outright denied knowing the Lord and yet he was restored to fellowship. King David committed adultery and murder and was still called a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). What’s true of them can be true of you, but only by the forgiveness and grace offered in a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Moses’ Family

That brings us to our final point: Moses’ Family. Moses flees Egypt and he ends up in Midian. According to Genesis 25, the Midianites were descendants of Abraham. Midian was Abraham’s fourth son through his second wife Keturah. They occupied a territory that we would associate with northwestern Saudi Arabia today. And our text has Moses sitting down at a well.

If you know anything about Bible stories, then you know that all sorts of dramas begin at wells. Abaraham and Isaac both dug wells. Jacob met Rachel at a well. And, of course, who can forget the New Testament account of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at a well. So, in one sense it’s not strange to find Moses at a well. But on the other hand, because so much biblical drama is associated with wells, we have to figure that something’s about to happen. And sure enough, once again, Moses finds himself trying to be the peacemaker (or troublemaker, depending on your view).

We’re introduced to seven girls – all daughters of a Midian priest named Reuel a.k.a. Jethro – and they’ve come to the well to water their father’s flocks. And there’s a group of redneck shepherds who haven’t been taught southern hospitality. (They might also be considered idiots seeing as they just chased off seven girls in a dessert, what? Don’t do that.)

Moses finally begins to put things together. He’s a real gentleman: raised, pampered, the best life of Egypt but he’s a gentleman. “Looks like these guys are harassing the chicks, I’m going to push them away.” So, Moses acts to combat this injustice. Only, this time, he didn’t kill anyone. Instead, he simply drives them away. What we’re witnessing in these verses is Moses beginning to act as a righteous deliverer. He not only rescued them but also “watered their flock” (v. 17). Moses displayed servant leadership.

The girls come home early and tell their father about this hunky, dark-skinned, well-mannered Egyptian that came to their rescue. And listen to Jethro (he’s a smart guy), “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him that he may eat bread. You don’t leave a man like that; you catch a man like that. Go get him, are you nuts? Your home is here in Podunk Midian. It’s not every day that you have men stopping by the well, especially an Egyptian. Go get him, bring him back that he may eat bread.”

(Ok, so not all of that is recorded in the Bible, but that’s the gist.) And come to find out, Moses enjoyed being there in Midian and so he stayed there, and Jethro gave his daughter, Zipporah, to Moses in marriage. Obviously, much time is passing by in these last few verses. What I want you to see is how Moses is a “type” of Christ.

Now, when I say a “type,” please don’t take that to the 10th degree and try to find that every single thing in his life has to be like Jesus. After all, Moses murdered somebody, and you won’t find that in the life of Jesus. What I mean is that there’s a general typology that’s unmistakable. Let me point out a few of them and we’ll conclude:

1. Moses was chosen to be the deliverer from bondage for the children of Israel.
2. He’s rejected by Israel at his first coming.
3. He turns to the Gentiles, (he’s now in Midian) to another country related to the Semites but not completely, not fully.
4. He takes a Gentile bride. Zipporah would, by all genealogical records, be considered a Gentile.

Now, I bring up those four (4) points because that’s exactly the argument that Stephen makes in Acts 7, when he’s witnessing to the Jewish leaders: “Look let me tell you about Jesus Christ. He’s not unlike the one that you revere so highly – Moses the law giver.”

And we conclude with verse 22, “And [Zipporah] bore him a son, and called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’” You probably have a footnote in your Bible that says Gershom sounds like the Hebrew word for “foreigner” or “sojourner.” But it can also mean “banishment” and maybe this is how Moses is viewing his life. Maybe it’s how you’re seeing your own life. It’s over. I’ve blown it. I’ve been banished. I’m sentenced to live in my version of Midian the rest of my life, when, in reality God is preparing you for service in His family.

James Montgomery Boice was an American Reformed Christian theologian, Bible teacher, author and pastor once said, “Moses was 40 years in Egypt learning to be something; 40 years in the desert learning to be nothing; and 40 years in the wilderness proving God to be everything” (Ordinary Men, 59). Think about that. God is emptying some of us of ourselves, today. God is bringing us to a place where the only thing left is Him. The only place left to look is up. We’ve looked left and right and down, but now’s the time to look up. These middle verses of Exodus 2 is the summary of every sinner’s journey to salvation: failure, fleeing and finally family.

Maybe you’re 50 or 60 or 70 years old; shoot, some of you are staring at 80, and you’ve never dealt with your past. Like Moses, there are secrets from days gone by that are buried in the sands of time. You’ve tried to cover them up. You’ve tried to make amends. You’ve tried getting things in order with God in your own strength, but you’ve never received the gift of true forgiveness and the grace that only Jesus offers.

Maybe you’re listening to this sermon and you’re thinking “My time has come and gone. I’m spent. I’m all done. There’s nothing left for me to do.” Folks, Moses didn’t hit his stride until he was 80. “Yeah, pastor, but that was Old Testament stuff. God doesn’t work that way anymore.” Not so. There are countless Christian ministries and non-profits that need the corporate knowledge and professional experience, coupled with a desire to serve the Lord, that you have. And whether or not time or physical ability allows this kind of service, you always have your family and friends to influence for the kingdom.

“Our Father in heaven, as we’ve considered the formal life of Moses – from birth to banishment, from inception, to rejection, to isolation – we considered the kinds of choices that were made along the way. Jochebed and Amram (Moses’ parents) made really good choices. We considered the choices that Moses made: a really good choice to identify with Your people, but just going about it the wrong way, and another choice to defend justice. Finally, You get a hold of his life and he becomes what You always wanted him to become, a humble servant of the living God. Moses realized it’s not about him, it’s not about his authority, it’s not about his strength, it’s about You and Your authority and Your strength. Lord, would we all discover this truth.

I pray, Father, that everyone here in choosing the steps they’re going to take today, tomorrow, this week, this year, that You, O Lord, would be at the very upper most of our thinking, that we would think about eternal things, spiritual things, heavenly things, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Exodus: Journey to Freedom (2:1-10)

• January 23, 2023
• Pastor
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Exodus 2:1-10

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Exodus 2. When we first started our study of Exodus, we were introduced to the people, the prosperity, and the problem. But you could also say that Exodus 1 opens and closes with death. Verse 6 says, “Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.” And by the time you get to verse 22 you have pharaoh authorizing infanticide among the entire Hebrew population. And between those two bookends you have harsh slavery. So, there are a couple of ways to see this opening chapter.

Today, we come to chapter 2 and a narrative story that many of you are familiar with. If you grew up in church, then there’s no doubt that you remember the story of Moses’ birth. In fact, you might have grown up going to Sunday School or Vacation Bible School (VBS) or some type of kid’s discipleship program where you made your own little baskets as a part of this story. So, this won’t be completely foreign material for many of us, but there’s more to this story than just floating a baby down the Nile River in a basket – as fun as that might sound to 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds.

So, follow along with me as I read Exodus 2:1-10:

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So, the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So, the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

“Almighty God, in You are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open our eyes that we may see the wonders of Your Word; and give us grace that we may clearly understand and freely choose the way of Your wisdom; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The passage that we just read tends to focus on Moses but let me point out that it’s also the story of how God used three women in His providential and sovereign plan to save a baby from death, and by extension save His people from slavery. And I find that fascinating.

Last week, we noticed that pharaoh’s name was never mentioned, but God preserved the names of two Hebrew midwives: Shiphrah and Puah – because of their faithfulness and obedience and fear of Him. And in these opening verses of chapter 2, besides the mention of “a man from the house of Levi,” all the activity being carried out is by three (3) women: Moses’ mother (who we find out later, is named Jochebed), Moses’ sister (who we find out is named Miriam), and pharaoh’s daughter (who, depending on your interpretation of 1 Chronicles 4:18, could have been Bithiah).

So, what I’m trying to say is that in the drama of Old Testament redemption, as painted for us in Exodus 1-2, the heroes are four (4) women and a young girl. Now, how about them apples? Ladies don’t ever feel second rate when it comes to being used by God.

This morning, like last week, I want to quickly walk through these verses and help us see God at work. Again, I’m deviating from the usual three points; today I have six. For those of you keeping track, that’s one less than last week. And I think I did a fair job of getting you to lunch on time. So, the first thing I want us to see is…

The Pregnancy (vss. 1-2)

Verses 1-2, “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.” Now, it might seem that these verses only provide incidental and minor information, but there’s more. This text explicitly says that both the man and the woman were Levites. They were descendants of Levi. He was a priest and famous blue jean maker. No, Levi was one of the sons of Jacob and Leah.

Moses was unquestionably of the tribe that would soon be specifically designated by God to provide the religious and spiritual leadership for the people of Israel – the tribe that showed itself loyal to God, the tribe that would supply the priests to bridge the holiness gap that existed between God and Israel, and the tribe selected to provide most of Israel’s regular court judges.

Bottom line – Moses was a chosen child. He was prequalified for the service that God would later give him. And God has prequalified each of us. If you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you’ve been qualified to serve Him.

1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Paul, when he’s talking about the church as one body with many members, writes, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).

Even if you aren’t a believer. Even if you haven’t accepted God’s gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, Psalm 139:13-14 say that “God formed our inward parts; that He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs” (adapted). And verse 14 says, “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That word, “made,” in the original Hebrew, literally means “set apart.” Like Moses, God has prequalified each of us for His good will and pleasure.

The question isn’t: am I qualified? The question is: have we acknowledged God’s calling on our lives? Have we accepted His gift of salvation in Christ Jesus? And if so, then how are we using the gifts and talents and resources and qualifications that He’s given to us?

Before we move on, I have to make two comments about verse 2. First, it’s interesting that Moses is the author of this book. And he wants you to know that he was a good-looking kid. Of course, every parent thinks their kids are the cutest, but Moses’ mom isn’t writing this. Moses is. And second, Hebrews 11:23 parallels our text. It says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” That’s what I want you to see. His parents feared God in heaven more than any earthly king and they hid him for three months. It’s not easy to hide a baby. Why? (They cry.) And if you’re living in a tent down by the Nile River or a little shack, who hears the baby? (Everybody.) So, to keep a baby quiet for three months is quite a commitment and a step of faith. That’s the pregnancy. Next is the package.

The Package (v. 3)

Verse 3 says, “When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank.” From time to time, you know that I like to point out where I think Bible translations miss the mark, and this is one of them. Most Bibles use the word “basket” here. In fact, the English Standard Version (ESV), which is the translation that I use and what we read from on the screens, translates it that way. But that’s not the best translation. The Hebrew is tebah (tay-baw), and it’s literally the same word that Moses used when he wrote the book of Genesis and gave us the story of Noah’s ark. It’s the word “ark.” Why most of our Bibles translate it as “basket” is unknown to me, but I think this distinction is important.

Follow me here. There’s no doubt in my mind – when Moses is writing this book later in his life – that he’s drawing our attention to the fact that God protected him in a little ark, just like God protected Noah, his family, and all the animals.

But, let me take it a step further. When Jochebed made this little ark, this little box, this little chest of papyrus, the Bible says she “daubed it with bitumen and pitch.” The Hebrew word there is chamar (khaw-mar), and in this instance, and only here, it means “to smear, to cover.” Jochebed smeared tar or bitumen or asphalt on the inside and outside of that little vessel to keep water from seeping in and to safely transporting Moses (just like Noah and his family). And when you study the other uses of the word chamar, one of the meanings is “red.” Do you see a picture that’s beginning to form here?

Well, just hang on. Because the irony of it all is that at the end of chapter 1, we have pharaoh authorizing every Egyptian that finds a baby boy to throw him into the Nile River for what purpose? (To kill him.) And I got to thinking: why not just use knives or strangle them? Right? Why this specific way of killing? And I think the answer has something to do with the fact that the Nile was seen by the Egyptians as a god, and if the Nile was taking the children, then some of the shame and guilt and responsibility could be shifted to the river god – the one they saw as giving and taking life.

But now, suddenly, you have Jochebed who takes her beautiful son and places him inside this wooden vessel that’s been smeared with a reddish tar and places him in the Nile River – not to extinguish life, but to save a life. And folks there’s another piece of wood that stands on a hill called Calvary and it’s smeared with that which is red, and every single person that runs to it will be saved and delivered, and it’s called the cross.

The Princess (vss. 5-6)

That brings us to the pharaoh’s daughter – the princess. She’s not specifically referred to as a princess, but I was looking for another word that begins with “P.” Pharaoh’s daughter comes down to bathe and seeing the little ark she instructs one of her assistants to fetch it. And when she opens the box and sees the child crying, rather than instantly silencing him in a watery grave the Bible says she “took pity on him, she felt sorry for him, she had compassion on him.” Surely, she knew of her father’s command. How is it that one of pharaoh’s own daughters (and he may have had dozens) defied the royal decree? This is nothing short of God’s hand at work.

Listen to how Dr. Douglas Stuart, Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary describes this scene in his commentary on Exodus. He writes, “Here was not a woman inclined toward her father’s cold-blooded population control program. She simply felt concern for a little boy who was crying. One imagines, in fact, Moses’ adoptive mother – the princess – telling him the story of his rescue many times, and how precious he seemed to her the first moment she set eyes on him. And for those that have adopted children, we can testify to the almost instantaneous love that wells up inside us upon seeing a child who needs care, when we know that we’re able to give it.”

Pharaoh’s daughter responds exactly the way that God created women – with a heart of compassion for children. And that’s exactly the way that God the Father looks upon us. Satan is set on destroying our lives with his cold-blooded plan of evil and sin, but the Apostle Paul says that “in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting [our] trespasses against [us]” (2 Corinthians 5:19). He pitied us. He looked upon us with compassion. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so, we are” (1 John 3:1).

The Proposal (vss. 7-8)

That brings us to verses 7-8, and the proposal, “Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So, the girl went and called the child’s mother.” The turning point of this entire story is captured in that single-word command, and it’s issued by none other than the daughter of their worst nightmare. Think about it for a moment; with one word, uttered by the right person, Moses’ protection was assured. As soon as pharaoh’s daughter spoke the word “GO,” Moses’ life was spared. The decision had been made in an instant, and Moses was saved.

Now, I know there’s a lot more to being a genuine believer, being a true disciple of the Lord, but at the root, at the very foundation, at the beginning there’s a simple confession and belief. The Bible says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). The moment that someone genuinely confesses their faith in Jesus they’re redeemed, they’re spared, they’re saved.

One of the best pictures of this is found in Luke 23 – the thief on the cross. “And [the thief] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise’” (Luke 23:42-43). TODAY. DONE. “Satan, he’s mine. She’s mine.” Eternal life is granted in an instant, by the only One who has the ultimate authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Have you received your pardon? Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus? Have you been saved?

Before we leave these verses and move to our next point, you just gotta love Miriam. Verse 4 tells us that she was standing at a distance waiting to see what would happen. I imagine that Miriam was about 8-9 years old. I have no way of proving this. It’s simply a guess. But it definitely seems that she wasn’t old enough, yet to be expected to work in the field and at home like the other younger ladies, which is why she was able to linger at the water’s edge long enough without raising eyebrows. I imagine her overhearing the princess’s expressions of concern – “He’s crying! He must be hungry! I can’t leave him like this!” And in Miriam’s young, innocent mind she immediately volunteered a nurse that she knew all too well. And that leads us to the payoff.

The Payoff (v. 9)

“And Pharaoh’s daughter said to [Jochebed], ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So, the woman took the child and nursed him.” I have no way of knowing for certain, but I believe that this arrangement was God’s way of rewarding Amram and Jochebed for their courage and faith, as Hebrews 11 says. Now, I’m not going to stand here and promise you that if you’re faithful and courageous that God will give you everything that you want. But I’m also not going to say that He won’t. After all, Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

At the end of the day, it’s God’s prerogative to bless us however and whenever He so chooses. But it seems to me that God was pleased to offer Jochebed and Amram a few years of rejoicing as they raised their son. And what a blessing it was. First, he was alive. Second, she was getting paid to raise her own child. Third, he would’ve likely nursed until 4-5 years of age, at which point Jochebed and Amram were probably ready to pass him off anyway. And fourth, while it would’ve been heart-wrenching to finally turn him over to the princess, we shouldn’t assume that he never saw them again. In fact, the description that we have of Moses and Aaron reuniting in chapter 4 suggests that they knew each other all along. And the important role that Miriam plays during the exodus suggests that she and Moses were hardly strangers.

And while I don’t have the biblical support to “promise skies always blue with flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; and while the bible never promises sun without rain, joy without sorrow, or peace without pain. God hasn’t promised that we won’t know – toil and temptation, trouble, and woe. He hasn’t told us we won’t bear – many a burden, or many a care. In fact, God hasn’t promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel, needing no guide; never a mountain rocky and steep, never a river turbid and deep. But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, and light for the way. The payoff in being obedient and faith to Christ Jesus is grace for the trials, help from above; unfailing sympathy, undying love” (What God Hath Promised, by Annie Johnson Flint – adapted). And that leads us to the final point…

The Privilege (v. 10)

“When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, ‘Because,’ she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’” The emphasis of this final verse rests on the adoption. I told you that Hebrews 11 is one of those parallel chapters that gives us some confirmation of Moses’ life, and Acts 7 – Stephen’s speech to the high priest – is another one. Acts 7:22 says, “And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.” God blessed Moses. God gave Moses the very best that Egypt had to offer.

Still, to this day, there are things that the Egyptians did that we can’t quite figure out. Their method of embalming is unmatched. Their mathematical and astronomical computations were extremely accurate. The Great Pyramid and Great Sphinx of Giza are still standing, folks. Moses had access to the best education, the best teachers. He probably had his own boat to cruise the Nile, his own personal chariot, and his own personal license plate. He grew up in the royal palace, eating the best food, wearing the best clothes. The world was at his feet. But listen to me; God didn’t bless him that way for his own personal enjoyment. All of this blessing was preparing him for service to others.

If you know the Lord, Jesus Christ, then you, too, have been adopted into a royal family. John’s gospel begins with that affirmation, “to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). The Apostle Paul writes extensively about adoption, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).

We’ve been given blessing upon blessing. John says, “from Christ’s fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Like Moses, most of us have received the very best that American education and society has to offer. Many of us have had the opportunity to travel and experience so many things – both good and bad. Are we using those blessings for our own enjoyment, or are we using them to encourage others, build up the next generation, and serve our community? There’s no denying that we’ve received the greatest and most treasured gift of all – the gift of our salvation and the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What are we doing with our privileged adoption, as sons and daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords?

“Our Father and our God, we thank You for Your Word; we thank You for the story and the life of Moses. God, we know this isn’t just some bedtime story. This is Your story. This is part of the story of You redeeming a people unto Yourself. And for all of the amazing things that Moses did and the person that he was – he was just a foreshadowing of Jesus; he was just a pointer to Jesus, ‘who has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses’ (Hebrews 3:3).

Lord, I pray for anyone here this morning that doesn’t know You in a personal way. They’ve heard Your Name, but they’ve not experienced adoption into Your family because they’ve not confessed their sins and trusted in Your only Son, Jesus. Father, would You soften their hearts to receive Your free gift of grace in Christ today.

For the rest of us, O God, I pray that You would awaken within us the joy of our salvation. In the words of the hymnwriter, ‘Revive us again, fill each heart with Thy love. May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.’ May we leave this place reminded of the countless blessings we’ve received from Your hand, and may we use those blessings to serve others, to teach others, to encourage others, to bring glory and honor to You, O Lord.

In these closing moments, would You have Your own way with us, Lord. For we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Exodus: Journey to Freedom (1:15-22)

• January 17, 2023
• Pastor
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Exodus 1:15-22

If you missed last week, we started a new sermon series through the book of Exodus. So, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Exodus 1. Last week was a bit of an intro. We were introduced to the people, the prosperity, and the problem.

The people are the Israelites: the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we read their names right at the beginning. So, Exodus is first and foremost a story about God and people – people with real names and real families and real lives. And that led us to the question: Do you know God in a real and personal way; specifically, do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Is your name – like the names of these 12 tribes – written in the Lamb’s book of Life?

Then we saw their prosperity. They multiplied. They grew into a sizeable nation. Just as God had promised Abraham back in Genesis 12 & 15, they were like the stars in the night sky and the sands on the seashore. But this prosperity, this accomplishment, this achievement – if you will – wasn’t due to them. It wasn’t because of their intelligence, or their wealth, or their fame, or their greatness. Their prosperity was solely because of God’s faithfulness to Himself and the promise that He made to Abraham. And the connection for us is similar – our status as God’s children is not a result of our hard work, or our intelligence, or our good looks, or our fame, but is solely a work of God’s grace through Christ Jesus.

Finally, we noted the problem (v. 8) “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” And we asked ourselves the question: How is it possible that someone could grow up in Egypt and not know the story of Joseph? How could an educated and privileged person such as the king of Egypt not know Joseph, and more specifically, Joseph’s God? There are two likely answers and they’re somewhat connected. The first is that there was a change in the political dynasty, almost like our political system. The Hyksos Dynasty, which is the kingdom of pharaohs that was in power when Joseph became the Prime Minister, was displaced by the Ahmose Dynasty. And the theory is that the celebrations and arrangements that had been established under Joseph’s government were abandoned. And because of that (here’s the second part), because those remembrances were removed and ignored, the next generation was never taught about Joseph and how God used him to save Egypt.

And the parallel question for us was: How is it possible that the world doesn’t know about Jesus? Why are new generations of people growing up not knowing about Jesus? Do our families and friends and neighbors know about Jesus because of our relationship with Him? And the uncomfortable, but realistic, answer, is we aren’t telling them. We aren’t teaching them. We’ve chosen to leave evangelism and discipleship to those “called to be” missionaries and pastors. Certainly, those people have a responsibility to share and show the love of Jesus but aren’t we all called to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [He] commanded.” (Matthew 28:19-20a)? And the answer is obviously, “Yes.”

So, the people are the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their prosperity is to grow in number because of God’s faithfulness to Himself and His promise. And their problem is a ruler that doesn’t Joseph and how God used him. That’s a quick review of last week. This week, we’re looking specifically at verses 15-22, but I want to read verses 8-22 for a fuller context.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

“Our Father and our God, once again, we thank You for the Bible, and as we seek to try and understand its broad scope, we pray for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, that our minds may be active, that our wills may be submissive, and that our hearts may be ready to receive the truth contained in it. We offer this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

January is Sanctity of Human Life month, and by the providence of God we find ourselves having to deal with these verses and this scenario. To be fair, you didn’t have any say in the matter. No, what really happened was that I found myself having to deal with it. And by “deal with it,” I mean, I had to look in the mirror and ask myself whether or not I was going to preach this sermon or whether I was going to move on to chapter 2. Trust me; it wasn’t an easy decision.

Oh, I wish that I could tell you that it was a “no-brainer,” that I was ready and eager to take up the text and bring this message. But that’s just not true. The truth is this:

1. The voice of Satan is real (“You can quietly move on; no one will be the wiser. Shoot, many folks probably wouldn’t blame you”),
2. The temptation to please men rather than please God is real (“You want people to like you, right, then don’t preach this message”), and
3. Societal pressure is real (“Word is going to get out, and you’re going to be labeled as one of those fanatical preachers. What’s worse, Mountain Hill will be labeled as a fundamental church”).

But the Holy Spirit put the words of the apostle Paul in my ear, “I charge you [Timothy] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1-5). So, we’re going to deal with these verses and there are seven things I want us to see.

The Midwives Revealed (v. 15)

“Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah.” It’s interesting, to me. We clamor to know who the king is, who the queen is, who’s the President of the United States, who’s the Prime Minister of England, who’s the Speaker of the House, who’s the leading Senator or Congressman, or Governor, who’s the newest head coach at such and such a school, and yet the Bible never lists the name of this pharaoh, or the pharaoh before him, or even the pharaoh on the throne during the actual exodus from Egypt. But God, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has Moses record the names of these two midwives: Shiphrah, meaning “fair/beautiful” and Puah, meaning “fragrant/splendid.”

One commentator that I read this week said this, “There are more compact ways in Hebrew to give names. But what we have here is typical of how a narrator might carefully choose to identify prominent characters at the beginning of an account. In other words, Moses chose to be sure the reader had a good chance to remember these women.”

I’m reminded of the account of Mary, Martha’s sister, anointing Jesus’ feet with oil in John’s gospel (John 12:1-8). Matthew’s account of that same incident doesn’t mention Mary by name, but listen to what Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13). That seems to be the point that Moses is making here – these women, like Mary, will be remembered not because of what their names mean, but because of the power of their faithfulness to God. Now, let’s move to verse 16, and the murder requested.

The Murder Requested (v. 16)

“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” There it is – partial birth abortion. That’s what happens when we use human wisdom instead of godly wisdom. That’s what happens when we rely upon ourselves, rather than God. That’s what verse 10 suggests, “Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, let us deal wisely with this situation, lest it get out of hand” (paraphrased). And what does that get you? Murdering babies.

Let me give you just a small taste of what the Bible says about human reasoning and human wisdom, apart from God.

“The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful” (Proverbs 12:5). “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12). “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2). “If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:14-15).

We’re dealing with an evil man in Exodus 1. And whenever you begin to esteem and honor human wisdom over the Word of God, then you’re playing with fire. Is it any wonder that a color-coded map of our country looks like Clark Griswold’s Christmas tree when it comes to our positions on abortion. We’ve abandoned the Bible in favor of humanism. We’ve abandoned the truth of God’s Word for the lies of Satan. And instead of one law (i.e., illegal), we have at least 11 different positions when it comes to the life of the unborn.

Never mind the fact that 75% of our country has fetal homicide laws that make it a crime to cause a miscarriage in the womb, but those same laws don’t apply to abortion. High risk pregnancy specialist, Dr. Steve Calvin, in a letter some years ago to the Arizona Daily Star, wrote, “There is inescapable schizophrenia in aborting a perfectly normal 22-week fetus, while at the same hospital performing intra-uterine surgery on its cousin.”

When the unborn are wanted, they’re treated as children and patients. When they’re not wanted, suddenly, they’re not children. It’s madness. The pharaoh exalted human reason and requested murder, and America 2023 has done the same. Why, just two weeks ago, on January 5 the SC Supreme Court overturned our own ban on abortion – claiming it’s “unconstitutional.”

Keep this in mind; God never forgot this. He didn’t let this go. There’s a reason that the final plague upon the Egyptians is the death of their first born, and I wonder if this isn’t it. Thankfully, we have verse 17 and the moral response of Shiphrah and Puah.

The Moral Response (v. 17)

“But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” These two women believed in the sanctity of human life. Now, to be sure, they certainly didn’t have a full knowledge of exactly what that phrase means. Chronologically speaking, Moses hadn’t even been born yet, much less penned the first 5 books of the Old Testament. So, they didn’t have the Scripture to inform them how to respond, but they did understand that there are simply some issues that are right and others that are wrong – and killing babies was simply wrong; it’s contrary to a divinely created world.

I think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3, and how they refused to bow down to the golden idol of King Nebuchadnezzar. Or Daniel, himself, in chapter 6, when he defies King Darius and the command to pray to him and no other king. Or the story of Peter and John, in Acts 4-5, where they’re arrested for preaching in the name of Jesus, and we get that wonderful quote, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, [as for us] we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard… We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29).

These women may not be preaching the gospel, but there’s no doubt that they’re bearing the truth of the invisible God before the visible king. And that leads to the meeting (v. 18).

The Meeting Resumes (v. 18)

“So, the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and let the male children live?’” There’s something that happens between the period at the end of verse 17 and the first word of verse 18. You can’t see it, but a lot of time passes.

See, prior to the invention of retail stores like Babies ‘R Us and the social rule that girls wear pink and have long hair and boys wear blue and have short hair, most Israelite children probably looked very similar. They dressed the same. The probably had similar haircuts. So, it’s easy to see how boys could be confused for girls for the first 12-24 months (maybe longer).

Plus, don’t forget that the original instruction was given to Hebrew midwives. So, it’s probably not in pharaoh’s best interests to order Egyptian soldiers to openly go into the tents and houses of Israelite women and forcible determine the gender of the children. That would only make public what he wished to keep private. Nevertheless, they still had to answer for their disobedience.

And one day, we’ll have to give an account, too. Not to an evil king, but to a good and gracious King. Not for disobeying an evil command, but for every careless word, and indeed for everything we’ve done in the body, whether good or evil (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, 2 Corinthians 5:10). The next thing I want us to see is the masterful reply (v. 19).

The Masterful Reply (v.19)

“The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘[the] Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’” That’s not necessarily a lie. Most of us have probably been told, at some point or another, that these women lied to pharaoh. I’m not so sure. In fact, while God can do whatever God wants to do, it’s not typically in His nature to bless a blatant sin.

The Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women… That’s not really an answer; it’s more like a general statement – and it’s true. Hebrews aren’t Egyptian and Egyptians aren’t Hebrews. Sure, there are many similarities between pregnancy stories. But not every experience is the same. I’m sure that most mothers here today experienced pain and discomfort during their delivery. But not every mom does. I’m sure that many of the moms here today relied on doctors for their delivery(ies), but not every mom has. It could be that Shiphrah and Puah said, “Listen, pharaoh, before our company of midwives can get to the 911 call, the baby has already been born.”

Or it could be a sociological difference and not a physical difference. In other words, it could be that Hebrew women were more actively involved in their own deliveries than Egyptian women. Egyptians were like me on a Sunday afternoon – laid back with my eyes closed. But Hebrew mommas were so involved in their own deliveries that they didn’t require the midwives all that much. I tend to think that these midwives were simply telling the truth, rather than constructing a well-devised lie. After all, Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” Like Shiphrah and Puah, may we all trust that God will deliver us from whatever situation we find ourselves in, if we’ll just tell the truth – and that includes the truth of abortion. The next thing is the miraculous reward.

The Miraculous Reward (vss. 20-21)

“So, God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families.” Because of the obedience of two women, the Israelites multiplied. Because of the obedience of two women, an entire nation was blessed – they multiplied and grew very strong. And one can’t help but wonder if the next page of American history, yet to be written, says, “So, God dealt well with a little church on a mountain. And the people of America multiplied and grew very strong.” God dealt well with Dale and Julia, Paul and Kitty, Tom and Cindy, Steve and Bonnie, Lee, Ray, Danielle, Linda and . . . (fill in the blank). God dealt well with His Bride because they stood up for life.

Can I let you in on a little something? You already know this, but if it wasn’t for these midwives and their courage and bravery and integrity and faith there wouldn’t have been a Moses. If these women had followed the command of pharaoh to its ultimate end, then Moses would’ve been killed. And without Moses there’s no escape. And without the exodus there are no Israelites. And without a Jewish nation there’s no king David, and there’s no Mary, and there’s no Joseph, and there’s no Jesus.

If you’re ever tempted to think that because you’re not some famous pastor or Bible teacher or Hollywood star or famous singer or Fortune 500 CEO or whatever that God can’t use you to make a difference in the Pro-Life Movement, then just memorize the names Shiphrah and Puah. Being a midwife was a menial, blue-collar, thankless job, and yet their names are remembered, and an entire nation was blessed. And when the Body of Christ takes a stand for life in the Pro-Life Movement there are at least two possible outcomes: 1.) indeed, a physical life is saved, and 2.) in many cases a soul is redeemed.

Our financial support of the Piedmont Women’s Center doesn’t just go to help avoid and overturn abortion in Greenville County and SC, though that’s certainly part of their ministry. Our financial and prayerful support of PWC and those volunteers involved on the front lines means sharing the grace, love, and forgiveness that Jesus offers, and we get to be a part of God redeeming another person from the bondage of sin and shame and adding them to the spiritual family of God.

That brings us to the last point today,

The Mandate Required (v. 22)

“Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.’” Pharaoh deputizes and authorizes all the people of Egypt to get involved in this murderous plot. And this wouldn’t be the last time that the Jews were singled out for destruction. King Ahasuerus and Haman in the book of Esther, King Herod, in Jesus’ day, and in our own lifetime Adolph Hitler’s Third Reich all attempted to annihilate the Jewish people.

It seems inconceivable to you and me that anything like this would ever happen here, or anywhere, but it does and it will, which is why it’s so important for the Church of Jesus Christ to take a stand for physical and spiritual life – to share in the excitement and joy of childhood, to encourage those that are considering abortion to consider life instead, consider adoption, and most importantly to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Only in Him can we find the forgiveness of our past, present and future. Only in Him can we find our purpose. Only in Him can we find new and eternal life.

Let’s pray. There are some of you here this morning that have been down this road. You’ve told me. There may be others that have never confessed the sin of abortion. Men, maybe you helped to facilitate an abortion and you’ve been secretly hiding the shame and guilt and you need to receive the grace that only Jesus can offer. Give that over to the Lord, today.

Others are here today, and you’ve played by the rules. Abortion has never entered your minds, and you’ve been pro-life as long as you can remember, but the conversations and issues have become too political in recent days, and you’ve allowed the pressures of the world to silence your voice rather than offer testimony on behalf of Jesus and His Word.

Perhaps God is calling you to get involved as a foster family or consider adoption (yourself). Maybe you’re looking for a place to volunteer. Piedmont Women’s Center would love to show you around and tell you where you can get plugged in. Maybe you just need to commit to pray for those who find themselves with an unexpected pregnancy.

Others are here and this whole “church thing” is new, but you’ve heard about Jesus in song, and experienced something of His love in the fellowship, and you know that – unlike Shiphrah and Puah – your name isn’t written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You know, in the inner recesses of your heart that you haven’t been saved. You haven’t confessed your sin. You haven’t received the free gift of God’s salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If that’s you, then, as we sing, would you just come talk to me.

There are some of you that have been visiting and you need to come and make Mountain Hill your official church family. You want to get behind the ministry and missions of this church. You want to be counted among those who seek to preach the Word in season and out of season and not simply attend at arm’s length. However, God is speaking to you, as we sing would you come.

“Father, in these moments, would You draw us to Yourself as only You can. Would You bring people into a saving relationship with Jesus, as only You can. Lord, I’ve spoken to their heads, but only You can impress the truth of Your Word upon their hearts. I pray that You would move in our hearts and lives, for I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Exodus: Journey to Freedom (1:1-14)

• January 9, 2023
• Pastor
• 0 Comments

Exodus 1:1-22

Everyone is on a journey, and we’re going to start our own journey through the book of Exodus. So, if you have your copy of God’s Word (and I hope you do), then I want to invite you to turn with me to Exodus 1. Now, some of you might be wondering why we’re going back to the Old Testament, rather than continuing in the New Testament and, in particular, following the life and teaching of Jesus. Well, the simple answer is because I like to make sure that we get a good balance of both the Old and New Testaments.

In fact, with the exception of last Sunday, we’ve been in the New Testament since Lent of 2022. After last Easter we began a 6-month study of 1 Peter, and then we had a brief 3-week series titled Faith, Hope & Love (all from the letters of Paul), and then we entered into Advent and the question Why the Nativity. So, it’s been about 9 months since we’ve spent any considerable time in the Old Testament. Furthermore, I did a little more research, and started with April 2020 (the beginning of COVID). That’s when we started video recording our services. It’s been almost 3 years/36 months of sermons, and in that time, we’ve spent 72-73% of our time together in the New Testament and only 27-28% of our time in the Old Testament. And I just feel like it’s time that we engage with God’s Word in the Old Testament.

“Okay, okay, fair enough, but why Exodus?” Well, I’m glad you asked. If we consider Genesis to be the front door of the Bible, and who doesn’t see Genesis as the book of beginnings, right? I mean, that’s where it all starts. So, if Genesis is the front door to the mansion of God’s Word (with 66 books/rooms), then Exodus is the red-carpeted hallway that connects all of the rooms.

We’ll discover, as we make our way through the rest of Exodus that Exodus goes through the rest of Scripture. It’s hard for me to overemphasize this. To utilize another analogy, it’s as if Exodus is the glasses of redemption through which we see the salvation of God in Jesus Christ. If you want to truly appreciate the New Testament, and the Gospels, and the evangelization of the disciples in Acts, and Paul’s missionary journeys, and the fulfillment of prophecy in Revelation – in order to understand any of that – then we have to know the theology and history contained in the book of Exodus.

Well, enough of an introduction. Let’s read Exodus 1:

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

“Our Father and our God, we are Your people. We present ourselves before You this morning as living sacrifices. We understand, Lord, that Your Word is ‘living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12). And we submit ourselves to the truths that we discover in it. This time is not about the technology, it’s not about the music, it’s not about the sights, rather it’s about hearts and souls that meet with the living God and commune with You over the truth of Your word.

Thank You that You have spoken, that You’re a God who communicates from heaven to earth. And as we continue the story of redemption in the Book of Exodus, I pray that our hearts would be excited week-by-week as we develop that knowledge and an increased hunger for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you still have your Bibles open, do you see the space between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus? That page? That space? That represents 400 years, which is an amazing thing to me, because when you get to the end of the Old Testament book of Malachi, before you get to the gospel of Matthew, you have another 400 years. And in both situations, the people of God (the Jews) find themselves in dire circumstances and in need of a savior.

When you come to the end of Genesis, they’re in Egyptian slavery – in bondage. When you come to the end of Malachi and the beginning of Matthew, they’re under Roman oppression – in bondage. So, in both cases, the people of God are being dominated by sinful pagan rulers and God comes to deliver them. In Exodus 2, He sends a deliverer, and in Matthew 2 He sends THE Deliverer, and He does it the exact same way. In Exodus 2 a baby cries and in Matthew 2 a baby cries.

There’s also one more connection between Genesis and Exodus – this one is a personal spiritual connection. Every one of us has had a Genesis, a beginning, right? We’ve been born. Here we are. We’re breathing. We’ve been born. But not every one of us has had an Exodus, a deliverance from the bondage of sin. The opportunity for your personal exodus, your personal deliverance, your personal redemption from the wages of sin is available – but it’s not through the waters of the Red Sea like it was for the Jews, rather it’s through the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you’re here this morning, then you’ve had your Genesis. If you haven’t experienced your Exodus, then I pray that God might use our time in this remarkable book to bring you to a place of accepting the free gift of His grace – by faith – in Jesus Christ. Well, there’s so much more that I’d really like to share with you concerning this amazing book, but our time is quickly fading. Perhaps I’ll shoehorn some of these other nuggets into future sermons. For the remainder of our time this morning, I want us to see the people, the prosperity, and the problem. That’s how chapter 1 is divided.

There are people – lots and lots of people. And they’re very prosperous. God blesses them and they multiply. And because of that, there’s a problem. Unfortunately, those three elements have been repeated in many cultures throughout history wherever Jews live: people, prosperity, and problem.

The People

The book of Exodus opens up with a list of names – not “once upon a time,” not “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” and not “in a hole in the ground lived a hobbit,” but a list of names. And that list takes us back to the story of Jacob and Leah, Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 29). Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel and made a deal with his uncle Laban to work for him 7 years in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage. That deal got twisted at the wedding (due to Laban’s trickery) and Jacob ended up marrying Rachel’s sister, Leah. Ultimately, Jacob worked another 7 years in order to marry Rachel, and these are the names of their children, which end up being the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Leah’s 6 sons are mentioned first, in order of their birth, from Ruben to Zebulun: “Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.” And notice, then it says, “and Benjamin.” Benjamin wasn’t a son of Leah. Benjamin was the second son of Rachel. Joseph was the first son of Rachel, but he’s not mentioned because he’s already in Egypt. He’s the reason they’re there. So, Benjamin is mentioned. Then “Dan, Napthali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were 70 persons for Joseph was in Egypt already.”

Now, to us, when we read names in the Bible, it’s like, “Oh, these are so hard. Why do we have to read the names?” But if your name was in that list, you’d care. It’s like going to a 9/11 memorial service, or the Vietnam Memorial. Those names may not mean anything to you, but they do to the families that are left behind. Or think about your grandchildren’s graduation or school performances. It just doesn’t work to say, “Yeah, it’s Senior Night here at Blue Ridge High School. We’d like to recognize all of our senior basketball players. There are about 10-12 seniors on the team. Good job, seniors.” No, you want to call them out by name.

Do you remember what Jesus said? He said the “[Good Shepherd] calls His sheep by name and He leads them out” (John 10:3). So, these groups of distressed people are being called out by God from Egypt into the Promised Land. And that raises this question: is your name among the list of names in the Lamb’s book of Life (Revelation 20:12, 15, 21:27)? Have you responded to the call of God to leave your Egypt for the Promised Land, to leave that place of sin and enter into a living relationship with Jesus Christ? When the time comes for our ultimate Exodus, the consummation of the Kingdom of God at the end of the Age, will your name be called by Christ Jesus to enter into the Promised Land of heaven?

So, right from the very beginning, we’re told, we’re shown that this is a story about God and His people. It’s a personal story.  In the case of Exodus, it’s a story about God and these 12 sons of Jacob, grandsons of Isaac, and great-grandsons of Abraham. This is a story of redemption, and that which is being redeemed is people. For us, it’s a story that’s been fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Now, verses 6-7 bring us to our second category and that’s prosperity.

The Prosperity

Watch what happens, “Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.” When I read this, my first response is to say, “Man, can God keep a promise.”

You have to go all the way back to Genesis 12, but do you remember what God said to Abraham? Actually, he was known as Abram at this time. God said, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3). A few chapters later, in Genesis 15, God says, “Hey, Abram, come outside. Look up. See all those stars? See if you can count them. So shall your descendants be. I’m going to bless you so much that your descendants are going to multiply into a huge group, a mega group.” (Genesis 15:5, paraphrased).

You can’t count all the stars in the heavens. It’s like trying to number the grains of sand on the earth. And so, they multiplied just like God promised. Now, 400 years later, they’ve grown into a sizeable nation. Look at verse 5. How many Hebrews were there? How many Jews were in Egypt when this journey began? (70) You know how many there are by the time we get to chapter 12, and later on in Exodus? Over 600,000 men, 20 years old and above, not including women and children. It’s estimated that the Jewish people grew to as many as 2-3 million people. Talk about a “Boomer generation.” This is the “Explosion generation.” It’s huge, huge, huge numbers.

I debated on whether calling this point “the prosperity” or calling it “the promise.” Either works, but the normal, common reading of the text seems to fit prosperity. But their prosperity isn’t due to anything about them. Their growth, their success, their flourishing has nothing to do with what they brought to the table. It’s all because of God’s promise. Their prosperity is all about God’s faithfulness to Himself and to keeping His promise.

The prosperity gospel that we hear preached in America isn’t a true reflection of the biblical gospel. I don’t have the time to go into all of the nuances of the prosperity gospel. But suffice it to say that having your best life now doesn’t come anywhere close to having eternal life later, which is only possible because of Jesus’ shed blood on the cross of Calvary. The glories of heaven – eternal life, righteousness, joy, peace, perfection, God’s presence, Christ’s glorious companionship, rewards, and all else God has planned are the result of His mighty work through Christ Jesus and our faith and trust in Him.

God was faithful to His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and indeed the Jewish people prospered. But something happened. Not only does Joseph die, but verses 8-22 show us the problem – particularly verse 8.

The Problem

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” First, notice that this political figure is referred to as a “king” and not as “Pharoah.” Verse 11 refers to him as “Pharaoh,” but that term is really a title for the kings of Egypt. In fact, the term “pharaoh” literally means “great house” or the “Palace of the King.” In any case, there arose a king who didn’t know Joseph. Let me restate that. Let me paraphrase that for you; “There arose a new king who didn’t know his own history.” That’s what’s implied there. That’s what’s happened. How else can you explain it?

Listen, when you go back to Genesis 38-39, you read about how Joseph was called up – out of prison – to interpret a dream that the previous Pharaoh had. Remember that? As a result of Joseph’s successful interpretation listen to what happened. This is recorded for us in Genesis 41:

“And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.’ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ Thus, he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.’ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So, Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:38-46).

Let me ask you a question: how do you grow up in Egypt and not know Joseph? Listen, what happened in Egypt has happened in America. And while we laugh at the clips of late-night talk show hosts walking the streets showing random people pictures of historical figures and getting blank stares and wrong answers. The fact of the matter is that some of those same folks are now in positions of governmental authority – like this king.

There was a king that did not know Joseph, that didn’t know Joseph’s history, that didn’t know Joseph’s God and how He had moved and worked in Joseph’s life. That’s our problem too. Let me change the language to make my point: “Now there arose a new set of parents in the Norris family, who did not know Jesus.” There arose a new CEO… There arose a new High School principal… There arose a new Church who did not know the Lord God Almighty. Folks, the problem that the Jews faced is the same problem that our world faces – they don’t know Jesus.

And as we’ll see moving forward, because the new king didn’t know Joseph, Joseph’s descendants – the Hebrews – were enslaved. We might have family members that don’t know Jesus. We definitely have friends and neighbors that don’t know Jesus. And, in many cases, it’s due to the fact that we haven’t shared Him with them. May we be challenged to do our part in sharing the Good News of Christ Jesus, so that our history won’t read like Exodus 1:8. We’ve all experienced a Genesis. Have we experienced an Exodus? Do you know Jesus? Do you know the One who loved you so much that He gave His one and only Son to die for your sin? Do you know the only One that can set you free from that sin? Let’s pray:

“Father in heaven, we thank You for this time and we thank You for this book – a book written some 3,500+ years ago, but a book that’s just a relevant for us today. We thank you Lord, that we’ve all had a Genesis. And those of us who know Jesus have also had an Exodus, a deliverance from the bondage of sin to become your people.

Lord, I pray, right now, for anyone who might be here this morning who doesn’t know Jesus in a personal way. They’ve had a Genesis; they’ve had a physical birth, but they’ve never been born again, they’ve never been born from above, they’ve never received the free gift of grace, the gift of redemption, the gift of complete and total forgiveness by turning from themselves and their sin and placing their faith and trust in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Father, would You just move in their hearts and lives, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in such a mighty way that today would not only be the beginning of a sermon series on Exodus, but that they might experience a spiritual Exodus to walk in the fullness of life that only You offer.

O God, for the rest of us, would we be encouraged and challenged to obey Your command to take the gospel of Jesus to our families, our friends, our associates, our neighbors, and around the world. Lord, we offer this prayer, we make these petitions and requests in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.”