Moments With God

Exodus 13:17-22

Praise the Lord that we as believers can depend on the Lord God’s directing hand and guiding light in our lives. Praise the Lord that He is in control of all the events of our lives.

When the Lord God led His Old Testament people out of slavery in Egypt, it must have been an exciting time for them. After ten plagues or judgments on Egypt Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had decided to let God’s people leave Egypt and slavery. God’s Old Testament people had been slaves in Egypt for many years, and now they were free from slavery. In addition to it being an exciting time for them it also must have been a bit frightening. God’s people were leaving behind all that they had known and experienced for many years. They did not know what their new lives as free people would entail, and they were not sure what obstacles lay ahead of them. They would truly have to learn to trust in the Lord in this newly uncharted territory in their lives. The Lord understood His Old Testament people’s fears and spiritual frailty. Hence when the Lord God led His Old Testament people out of slavery in Egypt; He "did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter," (Exodus 13:17) The Lord God did not lead His people on the shorter route, because He knew that if they had to face war at this point in their history they would in fear return to Egypt and slavery. Instead the Lord lead them on a longer road toward the Red Sea.

In the same way the Lord leads and spiritually protects His children today also. The Lord always knows what is best for us, and His timing is perfect. Further the Lord God never gives us more burdens than we can handle by His grace. He never allows a challenge or trial in our lives for which He has not first spiritually prepared us.

Concerning God’s Old Testament people Exodus 13:21-22 says, "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were visual reminders to God’s people of old that He would always be with them.

So the Lord God goes ahead of His children today also. The Lord God always has and always will lead His people of all ages "on their way" through life. There is never a time be it night or day that the Lord is not with us. God says to us, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 135b) God’s children need not fear, for they know the Lord is with them each step of the way on life’s path. In the darkness of night God’s Old Testament people were led by a pillar of fire. The light from this pillar of fire kept them from stumbling in the dark. So also the Lord gives His children today His special light in the darkness of times of trial and difficulty in their lives. The Psalmist in Psalm 18:28b says, "My God turns my darkness into light." Therefore as His children "let us walk in the light of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:5b) In times of trial and trouble walking "in the light of the Lord" can sometimes be very difficult especially when we do not know what God would have us to do next in what we as weak humans view as an impossible and hopeless situation. At such times the book of James in the New Testament advises us to pray for wisdom. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." We also at such times need to study God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Finally we need to rest in the Lord and trust that He will give us just enough light for the step we are on today. We need to trust that the Lord will continue to direct our way through this life step by step. Praise God for the Lord’s light and direction!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 12-13:16

How often do we meditate on the wonder of God’s gift of salvation to us? How often do we remember and contemplate all the other blessings the Lord has given to us in our lives? Finally how often do we talk to our children and grandchildren about all that the Lord has done for us?

In our Scripture passage God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, had just been freed from slavery in Egypt. After ten terrible plagues Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had finally consented to let God’s Old Testament people leave Egypt. God’s Old Testament people had lived in Egypt for 430 years, and at last they were leaving Egypt and slavery. (Exodus 12:40-41) They were free from Pharaoh and free from slavery, and they were on the way to the promised land.

This is a beautiful picture of God’s children of all ages being freed from the slavery of sin. The night before God’s Old Testament people left Egypt they, at God’s command, killed a lamb and sprinkled the blood on their houses. When the Lord God went through the land of Egypt and saw the blood on their houses, He passed over their houses. The plague which killed all the first born sons of the Egyptian families did not come on God’s Old Testament people. This was because of the blood of the lamb on their houses. We also are saved from God’s wrath and just punishment for our sins by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus Christ’s blood shed on the cross, we are free from the slavery of sin! Because of Jesus Christ’s blood on the cross, God in His grace "passes over" our sin just as He passed over the houses of His ancient Old Testament people. The Lord God washed away our sin and made us stand pure in His sight. May we never forget and cease to be thankful for the awesome gift that we have been given in our salvation!

The Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, were instructed to commemorate and remember forever their wonderful exodus from Egypt and slavery. God said to them, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord-a lasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:14) They were to yearly commemorate this awesome day in their history when God Himself brought them out of slavery "with a mighty hand." (Exodus 13:3) They were to tell their ancestors for generations to come what the Lord had done for them that day. Annually as they celebrated this event they were to tell their children, "I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:8b)

May we also often contemplate and be eternally thankful for our Lord God’s salvation provided for us. May we also remember and be thankful for all the other daily blessings He has given to us. May we further be passionate about passing on the faith to our children and grandchildren. May we be unafraid to tell them about the Lord’s salvation and what He has done in our lives. The Lord has "passed over" our sins through the blood of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ, and He has showered us with overflowing blessings. Hence let us be diligent to "pass on" the faith to our children and grandchildren by our words and the example of our lives!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 11-12

The Lord Jesus Christ is the "Lamb of God" who laid down His life on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of His people. (John 1:29) As His children we have been cleansed from our sins and made "white in the blood of the Lamb," our Lord Jesus Christ! (Revelation 7:14b)

This wonderful truth is pictured for us in the Old Testament story found in Exodus 11-12. Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had continued to harden his heart over and over in spite of nine horrendous plagues which God had sent on Egypt. (Exodus 7-10) Pharaoh had repeatedly refused to obey the clear command of God to let His Old Testament people, the Israelites, leave Egypt. Hence, God sent a tenth plague on Egypt. About midnight God went throughout the land of Egypt, and every firstborn son from every family in Egypt died including the first born son of the great Pharaoh down to the first born son of the lowliest of slaves. Those who do not accept God’s grace and who do not bow the knee to the Lord will die in their sins. They will also reap the eternal consequences of that sin.

For the Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, God provided a way of escape and grace, however. The Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb "without defect." (Exodus 12:5) Next the Israelites were to put some of the Lamb’s blood "on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses." (Exodus 12:7) God’s promised His Old Testament people that if they obeyed Him in this matter, He would pass over their houses and spare their first born sons. The Egyptian families’ firstborn sons would die, but when God saw the blood on the Israelite families’ houses He would spare their sons. What a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ, our Lamb of God, who once and for all shed His blood for our sins on the cross! The Israelites were no more deserving than the Egyptians of God’s grace. Yet God saved them because of the blood of the lambs on their doors. We also are undeserving of God’s grace. Yet through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and through Christ’s blood God has chosen to save us and make us His children! Praise His name!

The same night as the Lord passed over their houses, God’s Old Testament people were instructed to eat the meat of the Lamb that they had killed and to eat bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. Yeast is often used as picture of sin in the New Testament. I Corinthians 5:7a instructs us to "get rid of the old yeast" of sin. In thankfulness for what Christ, our Lamb of God, has done for us on the cross may we passionately seek to live our lives in practical holiness and obedience to our Lord. The Lord says to us in I Peter 1:18-19, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed----, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." The lamb that was killed and whose blood was put on the doorframes of the houses of God’s Old Testament people needed to be a lamb "without defect." (Exodus 12:5) So our Savior and Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is our perfect "lamb without blemish or defect." (I Peter 1:19b) Jesus Christ lived a perfectly sinless life for us that we could not live, and then shed His blood to pay the punishment for our sins! That monumental event in the life of God’s Old Testament people when God spared their first born sons was very significant. It was from that day on called Passover, and the Israelites remembered that event every year with the Passover celebration and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It also was a new beginning in their calendar year and truly a new beginning in the history of God’s Old Testament people. (Exodus 12:2) As the Passover was a new beginning for God’s Old Testament people; so in Christ we as His people today have a new beginning, a new identity, and a new purpose in Him. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross to purchase our salvation. May we passionately live our lives in gratitude to Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 10

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him." (Psalm 103:12-13) These verses from Psalm 103 are a wonderful promise to those who are truly repentant and sorry for their sins. Those who continue in sin, however, who deliberately harden their hearts and deliberately continue in habitual sins, do not truly know the Lord. (I John 3:6, 9-10) In fact unrepented, deliberate, and habitual sin coming from a heart that has grown hard and cold toward God will reap destruction. Galatians 6:8a says, "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction." Such was the case in the life of Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, and in the nation of which he was the leader.

Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt had already suffered through seven horrendous plagues when God sent the eighth plague, the plague of the locusts. During the seventh plague, the plague of hail every person, animal, and plant that was out in the field had been destroyed. When the Lord announced the onset of the plague of locusts to Pharaoh, God said this about the locusts, "They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians-something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now." (Exodus 10:5b-6a) Pharaoh’s officials tried to persuade him from his stubborn and rebellious ways saying, "Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" (Exodus 10:7b)

The plague of the locusts is a picture of the total destruction of sin. As the locusts "devoured all that was left after the hail" and left nothing alive (Exodus 10:15), so unrepented sin destroys and ruins people’s lives. Sin destroys people emotionally and spiritually and sometimes physically. Unrepented sin removes joy, security, and peace from people’s lives. Unrepented sin destroys the possibility for an eternal and personal relationship with the Lord. Unrepented sin destroys purpose in life, because we were created for the purpose of serving the Lord. Unrepented sin makes people hard in their hearts. Over and over Exodus tells us that Pharaoh hardened his heart until it appears there was a point of no return. After the sixth plague, the plague of boils, Exodus 9:12 says "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses." Although this is a difficult verse to understand, it first of all it shows God’s sovereignty. (Exodus 10:1-2) Also this writer believes Pharaoh had hardened his heart for so long that at last the Lord let Pharaoh’s heart go in its natural inclination against God. As the cement mixture which is laid for a new sidewalk eventually hardens, so the Lord allowed Pharaoh’s heart to harden in his sinful rebellion.

The eighth plague on Pharaoh and the Egyptian people was the plague of darkness. There was total darkness over Egypt for three days. This is a picture of the darkness of sin. Exodus 10:23b says this of God’s Old Testament people, however, "Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived." Although the world around God’s people may be very dark, God’s children have the light of Jesus shining in their lives directing their paths even when they walk through deep trials. This is true because Jesus has died on the cross and taken their punishment for sin on Himself. As it was dark three days in Egypt, so Jesus was three days in the grave before His glorious resurrection. Jesus Christ not only saves us from our sins and gives us an eternal relationship with Him, but He daily directs our steps with the light of His presence and guidance. The psalmist says this to the Lord in prayer in Psalm 89:15, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord." Praise God for His light and freedom from sin’s destruction in the lives of His children!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 9

Proverbs 28:14 says, "Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Believers who trust in the Lord will face trials in this life, but because the Lord protects His children, they are "more than conquerors" through Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:37) Those who harden their hearts in rebellion against the Lord, however, do not experience the Lord’s peace and joy. Instead they experience God’s wrath.

Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, hardened his heart over and over against God and His clear commands. Repeatedly Moses had come to Pharaoh and said, "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert." (Exodus 7:16) When Pharaoh disobeyed this command to let God’s Old Testament people leave Egypt, God sent ten terrible plagues on Egypt. First God sent the plague of blood. Blood was in the Nile River, in all the ponds and streams, and even in the containers found in their homes. Next came the plagues of the frogs, gnats, and flies. After the onset of each plague Pharaoh would ask Moses to pray to God to remove the plague. When the plague was no longer existent, however, Pharaoh would harden his heart time and again against God’s clear command to let God’s people leave Egypt.

Then came the fifth plague. This was the plague on the livestock. Moses warned Pharaoh that if he did not let God’s Old Testament people leave Egypt "the hand of the Lord" would bring a terrible plague on their various animals in the field. (Exodus 9:3) For the believer "the hand of the Lord" is a blessed thing. Psalm 37:24b says of the child of God, "the Lord upholds him with His hand." For those who continue to harden their heart against the Lord, however, "the hand of the Lord" is a fearsome thing. Yet Pharaoh continued to harden his heart against the Lord. So the Lord did indeed send that terrible plague on the livestock; and then later God sent the sixth plague, the plague of the boils. These boils covered all the Egyptian people and all their animals. Whereas the previous plague had affected only the animals in the field, this plague affected all the animals and people. Animals and animal-headed deities were often worshipped by the Egyptians, but once again these false deities did not help them at all in their time of crisis. Only our God can protect and help. He alone is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

The seventh plague that God sent on Pharaoh and the Egyptians was the plague of hail. Hail fell and killed all the animals and people who were out in the field. It also "beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree." (Exodus 9:25b) Not only was there hail, but the lighting and thunder that accompanied the hail was horrendous. "It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation." (Exodus 9:24b) The only place this storm did not hit was in the land of Goshen where God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, lived. Once again as with the other plagues Pharaoh summoned Aaron and Moses. Pharaoh said, "This time I have sinned---The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer." (Exodus 9:27) This is the first time Pharaoh acknowledged his sin and began to have a glimmer of understanding about the consequences of his sin. So Moses prayed and the hail and thunder disappeared. As soon as the hail storm disappeared, however, Pharaoh chose to harden his heart and disobey God once again; and he refused to let God’s people leave Egypt. Pharaoh was going to be visited with three more plagues before he would submit to God’s command to let God’s people go. Let us be very sure that we protect our hearts from becoming hard or indifferent. May our hearts instead be filled with a passion to serve and obey our Lord!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 7-8.

Our God is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Those who acknowledge Him as Lord over every area of their lives experience His peace even in times of difficulty in their lives. Those who blatantly and stubbornly rebel against Him will experience only the anger of the Lord. Such was the experience of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Once again Moses and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh about letting God’s Old Testament people leave Egypt. "Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said." (Exodus 7:13) As a result God began to send a series of ten terrible plagues on Pharaoh and on Egypt to show to Pharaoh that God indeed was the only Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

The first plague God sent was the plague of blood. Moses with his staff struck the water in the Nile River, and the water in the Nile was changed into blood. Also all the water in the ponds and streams turned to blood, and blood was found "even in the wooden buckets and stone jars." (Exodus 7:19) The second plague was the plague of frogs. Frogs were everywhere. Frogs were in the Nile River, in the Egyptian people’s houses, in their beds, in their kitchens, and in everything. Dependence on false gods had not helped the Egyptians. The Egyptian people depended on the Nile River for it’s life-sustaining water. This had led to the deification of one of their false gods, Hopi. Also the toad or frog was deified in their worship of the false goddess, Heqt. As it turned out neither one of these false gods were of any help or protection to them in this time of crisis in their nation. We too must be very careful that we are not depending on ourselves or on our own resources. Only the Lord is our sure foundation and protection for life and for eternity.

The third and fourth plagues were gnats and then flies. In Exodus 8:17b it says, "All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats." After the gnats came some of the Egyptian magicians finally recognized that this was due to the miraculous power of God, and they said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." (Exodus 8:19) Those who are in rebellion against the Lord will see "the finger of God" by experiencing the Lord’s wrath. Those who love the Lord will see "the finger of God" by experiencing His protection, strength, and love. As believers travel through valleys of suffering and weeping even these times will become times of blessing for them because of the Lord’s mercy.

When the Lord sent the fourth plague, flies, swarms of flies were everywhere; "and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies." (Exodus 8:24) This time, however, the Lord said, "I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land." (Exodus 8:22) It seems likely that God’s Old Testament people did not suffer any more effects from the remaining plagues from this point on. Apparently, however, God’s Old Testament people had suffered some of the effects of the previous plagues. We do not understand why sometimes God’s people suffer along with unbelievers when major wide spread catastrophes happen, but we do know that the Lord is always with His children even in those times. Even those catastrophic times will be used for the Lord’s glory and His children’s ultimate good.

After this fourth plague of flies Pharaoh wanted to compromise with God. Pharaoh said that God’s people could sacrifice to God within Egypt and that they did not need to leave Egypt to do this. This was not God’s plan for His people, however. We also can not go against God’s plan and try to compromise with God’s clear commands. May it be our passion to always be obedient to our God in all things, for He is indeed Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 6:10-7:7

Sometimes even when we are being obedient to our Lord, we may face significant obstacles in our lives. In spite of this God expects us to trust Him and to persevere in the faith. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

After Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh, God’s Old Testament people’s situation had gotten worse and not better. (Exodus 5) Moses probably felt like giving up, but God instructed Moses to proceed in faith and to return to Pharaoh again. God said to Moses, "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country. (Exodus 6:10) Moses continued to use the excuse of his lack of eloquence in speech, (Exodus 6:12 & 30) but the Lord did not accept that excuse.

We also must not be reluctant to obey God’s clear commands and His plan for our lives. We must not be intimidated by the obstacles and problems of life. Instead we should "look to the Lord and His strength." (I Chronicles 16:11a) We must also not look at our weaknesses and shortcomings, but we must remember that the Lord delights in infusing His strength in those who know they are weak in themselves. God did give to Moses his brother, Aaron, as a helper and spokesman. God will also often send people into our lives to help us and encourage us along the way. These fellow believers are often used by the Lord as His vessels to help us persevere in the face of life’s heavy burdens. God has also promised that He Himself will always be with us. The Lord says to us, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5b) The Lord expects us to trust and obey Him in all things, however. God did not let Moses "off the hook" when Moses tried to make excuses for not doing as God commanded. God said to Moses, "You are to say everything I command you" to Pharaoh. (Exodus 7:2)

God also told Moses that Pharaoh would harden his heart over and over. God told Moses that in spite of the miraculous judgments that would occur in Egypt, Pharaoh would not listen to Moses. In the end, however, the Egyptians and Pharaoh would know that God alone was Lord and sovereign in all things. God said about the Egyptians, "And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." (Exodus 7:5) God’s plan would work out. God’s Old Testament people would be freed from slavery. God’s plan to free us from the slavery of sin worked out in God’s perfect timing also when Jesus died for our sins. Further God’s plan for the world and for all the details of our lives will take place according to His perfect will. His plan for our lives ultimately always works out for His glory and our spiritual good.

So "Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh." (Exodus 7:6-7) May we never say or believe we are either too young or too old to serve the Lord. Christians must never think they can retire from serving the Lord. Our area of service may change, but we all must and can serve the Lord all of our days. May this be our passion!

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 5-6

Living in obedience and submission to the Lord is sometimes challenging and difficult. When the Lord allows a deep trial in our lives it is tempting to question why He has allowed that difficulty in our lives. When the Lord calls us to a special new challenge and assignment in our lives and problems ensue as a result of accepting that new challenge, we may be tempted to give up and think the Lord is not with us.

That may be how Moses felt in Exodus chapters five and six. God had called Moses to lead God’s Old Testament people out of slavery in the land of Egypt. Moses had came up with all kinds of excuses for not accepting God’s call. When all excuses failed Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it," (Exodus 4:13) But it was Moses God had chosen to lead His people out of slavery, and in the end Moses submitted to God’s call on his life.

Hence, at the beginning of Exodus chapter five Moses found himself in the presence of the great Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.’" (Exodus 5:1b) In response Pharaoh arrogantly said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2) To make matters worse that very same day Pharaoh ordered his slave drivers to make God’s people work even harder. Whereas before they had been supplied with straw to meet a difficult daily quota for making bricks, now they had to make that same daily quota but also gather their own straw. A very difficult situation for God’s people seemed to have become impossible. When the daily quota was not met the Israelite foremen were beaten. When the Israelite foremen complained and appealed to Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s responded by saying, "Lazy, that what you are-lazy!---Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." (Exodus 5:17-18) As a result of their encounter with Pharaoh the Israelite foremen in turn complained to Moses saying, "May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." (Exodus 5:21) So now Moses was in the position of seeing his fellow Israelites in a worse situation than they were before and of having both Pharaoh and the Israelites angry with him. Moses must have wondered why God allowed this to happen when he had only acted in obedience to God. In desperation Moses prayed to God saying, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all." (Exodus 5:22-23) Moses was at the end of his rope and was questioning the Lord. Moses needed to remember that when we obey the Lord there may not be instant results. Moses needed to trust God’s perfect timing. God assured Moses that Pharaoh would eventually let God’s people leave Egypt, because of the Lord’s "mighty hand." (Exodus 6:1) The Lord also reminded Moses that He was the God of His ancestors, and He would keep His promise to lead His people to a new and wonderful land. The Lord told Moses that He had "heard the groaning of the Israelites" and would remember His covenant to deliver them. (Exodus 6:5) The Lord also promised to be His people’s God. (Exodus 6:7) The Lord would do all this for them, because He is the Lord God Almighty who can do all things. We too must rest in God and in His promises alone. When we are walking in obedience and still find the situations in our lives very difficult, we must rest it with the Lord. God works all things out in His perfect timing. We like Moses must proceed in faith in spite of overwhelming obstacles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 3-4

God delights in using frail weak human beings who are totally submitted to Him as His servants. The Lord wants to break us of self-reliance, and He wants us to understand our own inadequacies. At the same time we must trust the Lord God's unlimited strength and ability to work in and through us. In ourselves we can do nothing, but with the Lord's strength and grace we can do anything He asks us to do.

The Old Testament character, Moses, had been living in the desert land of Midian for forty years, but now God was calling Moses to a new and exciting assignment or call in the Lord God's kingdom. It had been necessary for Moses to live in the barren land of Midian all those years, so that he would learn humility and be emptied of dependence on self. Now in his new assignment as leader of God's Old Testament people Moses would have to rely on the Lord's strength alone.

One day Moses was taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. Suddenly "the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush" (Exodus 3:2) The terminology "angel of the Lord" is often used interchangeably with the Lord God. Therefore, this was probably a pre-incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Himself! Moses was in the holy presence of God Himself! May we too be ever aware of the holiness and purity of our God. As His children may we seek the Lord's purity in our lives and be dedicated to His service. May we answer the Lord's call and be obedient in all things. (I John 3:2-3)

The Lord then said to Moses, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land.----So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:7-10) As God was concerned about His Old Testament people, the Israelites, so He cares about our sufferings today also. Hence, He will always lead us out of all of our sufferings in His perfect timetable if not now than in eternity!

Moses probably was excited to hear about God’s plan to redeem His people from slavery until he heard God say to him, "I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Then Moses started making excuses for not following God's call. Moses said, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) This was a wrong question on the part of Moses. God always is with us and equips us in all He asks us to do. God’s reply to Moses in Exodus 3:12 was "I will be with you." The Lord God also assured Moses that He was the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14a) This name for God showed that the Lord God was not only the God of glory and power but also a faithful and dependable God who completely gives Himself to His people generation after generation. As yet another excuse for not accepting God’s call to lead His people out of slavery Moses basically said, "What if Your people do not believe You sent me, Lord, and then refuse to listen to me?" (Exodus 4:1) This was a foolish question and an excuse on the part of Moses, because the Lord had already promised that the elders of the Israelites would listen to Moses. (Exodus 3:18) Moses then tried to use his lack of eloquence in speech as an excuse for not obeying God’s will for his life. God did not accept that excuse either. In the end Moses submitted to God’s call to lead God’s people out of slavery. God will have His way in our lives also, and we will not be at peace until we submit to His will. May we not seek excuses for not submitting to His call to service, or may we not question Him when He brings trials in our lives. In submission to the Lord’s will we find great joy, and then we can be used in great ways in His kingdom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 2:11-25

Our Lord wants us to be totally dependent on Him for strength to get through each and every day and each and every moment. So often we are tempted to run to the Lord only in a major crisis and to think we can handle most of life in our own strength. The truth is we are totally dependent on the Lord for everything. Conversely, we can do anything the Lord asks us to do in His strength. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

In Exodus chapter two starting at verse eleven the Old Testament character, Moses, can be viewed as an impulsive, self-willed person who was relying on himself to get through life. Before Moses could be used by God to lead God's Old Testament people out of slavery, Moses had to be changed. Moses had to be broken of self-reliance, and it was vital for Moses to understand that he needed to be dependent on the Lord alone.

As a baby Moses had been protected by God from the Egyptian Pharaoh's wicked edict. Pharaoh had made a law saying that all the Israelite baby boys had to be thrown into the Nile River. Through God's love and protection Moses had been spared. Through a series of events described in Exodus chapters one and two Moses had first been raised by his own mother for a few years, and then for most of his early childhood and early adulthood Moses had been raised in the Pharaoh's palace as the son of the princess.

One day after Moses had become a man Moses decided to go out to where his fellow Israelite were working as slaves. While there Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite, one of Moses' own people. "Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." (Exodus 2:12) Although it was sinful what the Egyptian was doing to the Israelite man, Moses did not have the right to take things into his own hands and kill the Egyptian. Moses should not have tried to take things into his own hands and run ahead of God and His perfect plan. God would use Moses some day to free God's people from slavery, but this needed to happen in God's perfect way and time. So we too must not run ahead of the Lord. We must wait for the Lord's guidance, timing, and strength to accomplish His will successfully as His servants.

Because of this impulsive, self-directed act on the part of Moses he had to run for his life. The Egyptian Pharaoh heard what Moses had done. Therefore Pharaoh "tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian." (Exodus 2:15) Midian was a dry and barren desert, and it was a stark contrast from the previous home of Moses in the palace of the Pharaoh. Moses lived in Midian for forty years. He married, had a son named Gershom and tended his father-in-law, Jethro's flock of sheep. More than likely Moses felt this would be his place in life for the rest of his life. God had other plans for Moses, however. Moses was going to lead God's people away from slavery in Egypt in God's perfect timing, but first God had to change the heart of Moses. Moses had to be taught humility and reliance on God alone. This could only happen in the desert land of Midian.

Sometimes God has to take us through desert-like experiences in our lives also. Sometimes like Moses only through trials in our lives do we learn to wait and depend on the Lord God alone. Sometimes only through deep trials do we learn patience and humility. Then and only then can God use us in His kingdom to accomplish His will. So when we are going through the desert-like experiences of life let us be patient and submissive to His will. The Lord may be using these experiences to mold us to become better reflections of Himself. The Lord may be using these experiences to better equip us to serve Him in wonderful ways in the future!

 

 

 

Exodus 1:22-2:1-10

God demands our total surrender. We must acknowledge Him alone as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He must be Lord over every area of our lives. Yet there are many nations, leaders, and individuals who rebel against the Lord and His authority. Psalm 2:1 reminds us that nations and individuals who rebel against the Lord "plot in vain."

The ancient Egyptian Pharaoh spoken about in the book of Exodus was a king who "in vain" tried to set himself up in rebellion against the Lord and His people. At this time in history God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, found themselves living in the foreign land of Egypt. The Egyptian Pharaoh of that time became alarmed at the growth in numbers of God’s Old Testament people. So Pharaoh subjected God’s people to slave labor, and later unsuccessfully tried to order the Hebrew midwives to kill all the baby boys of God’s people. When Pharaoh saw that all his plans were failing, he devised yet another plan. He made a law that every Israelite boy that was born must be thrown into the Nile River. He was hoping in this way to prevent these Israelite boys from growing up to become men who would rebel and make war against him in the future.

During this very difficult time in the lives of God’s Old Testament people a baby boy named Moses was born. The parents of Moses did not want to obey the Pharaoh’s command to throw their precious baby boy into the Nile River. They also saw that Moses "was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edit." (Hebrews 11:23b) Hence, the parents of Moses acted in faith and without fear, and they hid baby Moses for three months. Because of the courage displayed by the parents of Moses they are listed in Hebrew 11 with the other Old Testament heroes of faith! Let us also live our lives with that same kind of faith and trust in the Lord that the parents of Moses exhibited. Let us say with the Psalmist of old, "The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid.?" (Psalm 27:1b)

After three months Moses’ mother could no longer hide him, so "she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile." (Exodus 2:3) This papyrus basket was like a miniature seaworthy boat. After a space of time the Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile River to bathe. The Princess spotted the baby Moses among the reeds. Realizing it was one of the Hebrew babies the princess felt sorry for baby Moses, and she decided to raise him as her son. At this point Moses’ sister approached the princess and said, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" (Exodus 2:7) The princess agreed to this, and so Moses’ mother was able to take Moses home and raise him the first few years of his life without fear. During this time Moses’ mother was probably able to instruct Moses in the ways of the Lord. Later the mother of Moses, however, had to bring Moses to the palace to live as the son of the princess. This must have caused heartache for the mother of Moses, but she had the confidence that Moses was safe. Because the parents of Moses also realized that Moses "was no ordinary child," (Hebrews 11:23), they probably knew God would use Moses in great ways for the cause of their Lord God and God’s people some day. That is exactly what happened. Because of the faith and faithfulness of the parents of Moses their child would be used many years later as God’s instrument in leading God’s people out of Egypt and out of slavery. Moses’ parents may not have fully understood God’s plans and workings in their lives, but the Lord did indeed work out His plan for His own glory and for the good of His people! The Lord does the same for us as His children today! (Romans 8:28) May we find confidence and joy in that awesome promise!

 

 

 

Exodus 1

God’s Old Testament people were living in the foreign land of Egypt at the beginning of the book of Exodus. Hundreds of years before Jacob and his sons and their families had moved to Egypt during a time of famine. Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, was already living in Egypt at that time. Through a series of remarkable events over a period of many years and through the Lord God’s intervening working and will, Joseph had become second in command to the Pharaoh at that time. Therefore, Joseph was able to provide for his family during that time of famine.

Now at the beginning of the book of Exodus Joseph and all his brothers had died. The next generation of God’s people, the Israelites, were becoming "exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them." (Exodus 1:7b) A new king or Pharaoh as the Egyptian kings were called arose. He knew nothing about Joseph and his family. This Pharaoh became alarmed by the number of Israelites that were populating his land. He was afraid they would become so numerous that if war broke out they might join Egypt’s enemies against them. So Pharaoh decided to put slave masters over God’s people and "oppress them with forced labor." (Exodus 11a) The Israelites lives were made "bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields." (Exodus 1:14a) In spite of all this God blessed His people and "they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites." (Exodus 1:12b) Absolutely nothing will separate God’s people from God’s blessings, protection, and love. Trouble, hardship of any kind, danger, death, nothing will separate us from God’s love! (Romans 8:35-39) What a promise for God’s people in times of great difficulty!

Since Pharaoh's plan to squelch God’s people did not seem to be working Pharaoh hatched another plan. He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the boy babies born to the Israelites, God’s people at that time. Pharaoh was hoping that in this way the Israelite boys would not be able to grow up and form an army against him some day. But the "Hebrew midwives whose names were Shiphrah and Puah" (Exodus 1:15b) refused to follow the Pharaoh's orders. They instead obeyed and "feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live." (Exodus 1:17b) It must have been frightening for these midwives to disobey the Pharaoh's orders, but they were more concerned about obeying the Lord. Do we have that same commitment and passion to obey the Lord in spite of possible difficult consequences? God is pleased when His people submit to Him in obedience, and He will bless and reward such obedience. Exodus 1:20-21 says this of the midwives, "So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own." Notice also that the names of these seemingly insignificant midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are listed in Scripture! We do not even know the name of the great Pharaoh of Egypt. Nowhere is that Egyptian Pharaoh's name recorded in Scripture. As the Lord’s children and the sheep of His flock we too are known to Him by name! John 10:3b tells us this about our Lord and Shepherd, "He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out." We can trust that He will always protect and love us, as we walk with Him in faith. He has a plan for our lives, and as we serve Him in our small corner of the world He will bless us as He did the Hebrew midwives. His plans for the world and for our individual lives will stand. Praise the Lord for His protection, blessing, love, and purpose in our lives!