Exodus 6

God Promises Deliverance

6:1 But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty,¹ but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

10 So the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” 13 But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

28 On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Footnotes

[1] 6:3 Hebrew El Shaddai

(ESV)

Exodus 5

Making Bricks Without Straw

5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many,¹ and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22 Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

Footnotes

[1] 5:5 Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Exodus 1-4 (12-9-17)

As we begin into the Exodus Era this week I am very excited to get into the testimony of God’s work in and through Israel and his servant Moses. The events of the Exodus and God’s deliverance of this small nation of Israel is historically one of the most talked about events from generation to generation.  We see this all throughout the biblical narrative and in the New Covenant as God fulfills much of his redemptive plan in Christ whereby key things were set in motion at the Exodus are fulfilled. In just the first few chapters there is so much to cover as we focus in on Moses. So with that let’s dig in..

A God ordained adoption

In Exodus 2, Moses’ story begins with his birth.  His parents had to send him down the river in order to try to keep him alive.

If they only knew what God had in store for him.  The Daughter of Pharaoh makes him her own. (v. 10)  Moses looked to use his status in Pharaoh’s house to look out for his people ( v.11).   In his defending a Hebrew man who was being beaten, he killed an Egyptian soldier and fled to Mideon to avoid the wrath of Pharaoh. (v. 12-15). He married and had a son in his time away from Egypt.  At the end of Exodus 2, we read that Pharaoh died and the Israelites cried out to God to remove them from their bondage in Egypt.  “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”. (Exodus 2:23-25)

An Unlikely Leader

In Exodus 3 we read about the incredible encounter Moses has with God at the burning bush.  God making himself known through this kind of encounter is what is called a Theophany.  Moses shows great reverence and righteous fear at the presence of God. God tells Moses that he has seen his people’s affliction and heard their cries and that he will deliver them to the Promised land.  Then God says something Moses would have never expected.  He says you will be my mouth piece before Pharaoh and chosen leader. Listen, to Moses’ response.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt -Exodus 3:11

“who am I?  I am a nobody! “

Too often we get caught up in only looking at the horizontal. Meaning, we are only worried about what other people think of us, how they will respond and what we are capable of.   But realize, when we do this, we are missing something very critical.  What God thinks about us and what he can do in and through us.  This is the vertical truth we must walk in every day.  Yes, by the world’s standards, we are often very insufficient and unqualified.  But that is not how God works. He most often takes the least of these and raises them up to do mighty things so that he is the one who gets the glory.

Notice as we read on…. God doesn’t give Moses a pep talk… he doesn’t slow down and say.. “You can do it”

What God doesn’t say to us in response to our feeling defeated or ill-equipped, Is   “You just have to believe in yourself”. 

God’s response to Moses is a statement of TRUTH.. of assurance of the one who is in POWER!-   5 life shifting words…..

Exodus 3:12 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.

God isn’t the guy who wants to cast you in his epic story because he is desperate for anyone who will show up.. this is the author, perfector, designer, creator, director and sustainer of all things… “I WILL BE WITH YOU!”

God has given the life shifting statement to everyday, average, unlikely people time and time again… it was those same words Jesus told his previously cowardly, failed and scared disciples.  After experiencing the risen Christ and hearing the promise that he would be with them all the way… And what did they do?  They rose up and gave all they had to their faith as they gave birth to the church.

The ? for us is:    What have I done with those words? 

God says: “I will be with you” … how did you wake up and live life this last week as a result of those words?

“Thank God… having you around will make things easier and more convenient”

OR  “Ok God, I’ll remember that when I can’t seem to do it on my own”

OR   “God, I recognize it is all from you and for you… I trust you will lead me, sustain me and use me for your purposes….let’s go!”

I AM

One of the things that helps us is to rightly know and remember who God is to understand what his name is.  In our text we get one of the most important insights into who God is as he describes to Moses his name!

Exodus 3:13 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. ’

What you need to understand about the religious system in Egypt in that day is a belief in many gods.

These are “Little g” – little pretender gods-  a god of soil,   of fertility,     of the sun,    of death

So Moses is asking,  “How do I describe you to those who believe in many gods?  Which god will they think you are?”

Now listen to God’s answer….

¹⁴ God said to Moses,   “I am who I am . ”    Now you might be thinking,  ‘Well that just clears it up!”

But really pay attention to what he just said. “ I am who I am” is taken from a Hebrew word that means, “to exist”

What God is telling Moses is…. I exist, I am REAL!

IN this he is Totally slamming the entire religious system.   And putting to correct shame all the little g man made gods.

He makes no excuses, no explanation.  He is as straight forward and he can be.  I AM!

Whether you figure me out or not or whether you acknowledge me or not!  I AM

Next God says: This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

So, God’s name is I AM.

¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

The LORD (all CAPS)     L   O   R    D

The LORD = Four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) This was so sacred the Jewish people wouldn’t even pronounce them

• Our modern word for God’s name is “Yahweh”
• So, anywhere you see the LORD in all caps in the bible this is a sign that it is in reference to the One true God.

This is the Name of God!  YAHWEH!

It is not a name to be taken lightly!     It is full of power and wonder!

It is a name describing his eternal power and unchangeable character.

*In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God.

This name is used 6800 times in the Old Testament!

Now think of the difference between knowing him as GOD verse knowing him as Yahweh–  “HE IS”!

When God’s reveals his name is not only letting us get to know him, He is proclaiming who he is

So when he says, I AM he is saying,   “I am huge,   I am it,   I am Vast,   I am who I am!”

No matter what you think or have been told.  I AM

He is surely worthy of our trust and praise!

Setting the table for what is coming next

Exodus 3:19-22 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.

This sets the table for all that God was about to do deliver his people from the most powerful and dominate ruler in the world at the time.  Stoked for what lies ahead of us in our reading of the Exodus.

To close, what I love about the testimony of Moses is that it is far more a testimony about God.  I want my life to be that way.  I want the people who walked with me and heard my preaching and followed me to have way more to say about all that God did in and through me in that time then what I did.    May we keep our eyes on the vertical and not just the horizontal.  May we never forget that we are utterly dependant on the great I AM who is with us always.   May we never lose our gratitude or trust in God, even when what stands before us seems insurmountable.

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

Exodus 4

Moses Given Powerful Signs

4:1 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.”¹ And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous² 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.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

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’³ 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.

Footnotes

[1] 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7

[2] 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[3] 4:25 Hebrew his

(ESV)

Exodus 3

The Burning Bush

3:1 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.” 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.”¹ 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,² 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.³ 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 3:14 Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be

[2] 3:15 The word Lord, when spelled with capital letters, stands for the divine name, YHWH, which is here connected with the verb hayah, “to be” in verse 14

[3] 3:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew go, not by a mighty hand

(ESV)