This Moses and This Aaron

Exodus 6:13-30

At the beginning of the book of Exodus, we reviewed the members of Jacob’s family that moved to Egypt.

They moved to Egypt because of widespread famine. Years before anyone knew the famine was coming, God sent Joseph to Egypt ahead of his family to prepare the way. This sounds nice, but in reality, it was a horrible ordeal. Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him as a slave. Joseph spent years as a slave and then as a prisoner. As harsh as life was for Joseph, God was preparing him to fulfill a great role.

Let’s review where Joseph was in the family.

Joseph was number eleven out of 12. This simple statement misses the fact that he was his father’s favorite and was treated like a prince while his brothers were treated like hired hands. This family situation contributed to the malice of brothers who sold their younger sibling into slavery.

With the family safely in Egypt, years passed and that generation passed away. A time came when the king of Egypt no longer knew about Joseph, and instead feared the Israelites because of their great numbers and growth. This fear became the start of long years of slavery for the Israelites.

During this time the Israelite population continued to grow, and from this group of people, God chose two people, Moses and Aaron. Exodus 6:13 tells us:

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 6:13 NIV)

At this point in the story of deliverance, God takes the time to tell us who Moses and Aaron are. He does not list their achievements, their test scores, their qualifications, or their aptitudes. He lists their genealogy.

The first thing I notice about Biblical genealogies is that I cannot pronounce many of the names. The second thing is that I do not know who many of these people are. Exodus 6:14-25 seems to be just such a list.

Rather than reading a bunch of names without meaning or context, let’s consider who some of these people were.

Why was it important for us to know Moses and Aaron’s genealogy? I hope to be able to answer this question after we have considered some of the people in the genealogy.

If drawn out as a family tree, the genealogy looks like this.

Israel was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Israel was named Jacob at birth, but God changed his name later in life. The family tree represented here starts with Israel and his first three sons.

Ruben had four sons. Each son was the head of a family group. Simeon had six sons, and Levi had three sons. The genealogy stops here with the sons of Israel because we are interested in the lineage of Moses and Aaron, and Levi is their forefather.

Studying the life of Jacob will quickly lead one to the conclusion that this family was messed up. We have already mentioned that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They led their father to believe that a wild animal had killed Joseph. All the brothers except Benjamin were in on this deception.

In addition to their corporate sin, the brothers had their individual sins.

Genesis 35:22 tells us:

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. (Genesis 35:22 ESV)

Bilhah was Rachel’s servant, Reuben’s father’s concubine. Because of this act, Reuben lost the right of the firstborn.

In Genesis 34, we learn:

On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went away. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks, and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered. (Genesis 34:25-29 ESV)

Simeon and Levi killed everyone in a city because of one man’s offense.

Simeon had a child by a Canaanite woman, and Moses’ father married his own aunt.

Later in the story of Moses’ life, we learn that his cousin Korah led a rebellion against Moses.

This is a look at the surface of Moses and Aaron’s family tree. A more in-depth look would reveal even more flaws and sins. So, why is it important that we know that it was “this” Moses and Aaron?

First, it was important that Israel knew that Moses and Aaron were Israelites. Then no one could say, “You have no part with us.”

Second, it was important that we understand that Moses and Aaron were just ordinary people.

Let’s consider the importance of knowing that Moses and Aaron were Israelites.

They would have been subject to the same oppression and slavery as all the rest of Israel, allowing them to identify fully with the suffering and brutality of their situation. They also would share in the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, promises that included the land of Canaan.

We will come back and consider why it is important to know that Moses and Aaron were just normal men, but first I want to show you some parallels in this story of deliverance and in the gospel.

Just as it was important for Israel to know that Moses and Aaron were Israelites, it was important that the world knows that Jesus was both Jewish and human. This same family is the family from which Jesus was born. The promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and later David, all apply to Jesus. Jesus is the heir of the promises and the one who was promised. God promised an everlasting throne to David and it is fulfilled in Jesus. Whatever God’s purposes are for the promised land, these also will be fulfilled in Jesus.

Now, we will consider why it is important to know that Moses and Aaron were just normal men.

Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we are all descendants of Adam. In Jesus’ family tree there were people from different cultures, nations and languages. There were people with dark skin and light skin. There were murderers and kings, harlots and queens. The gospel sees all humanity as one. Acts 17:26 says,

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (Acts 17:26 ESV)

God made from one man every nation. God is concerned that all nations know the gospel. Philip was sent to an Ethiopian and Africa received the gospel. Tradition has it that Thomas went to India and Asia received the gospel.

More important still is the fact that we are all represented by Adam, the father of our race called humanity. Romans 5 says:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (Romans 5:12 ESV)

In Adam, we all sinned and are born sinners, slaves to sin. Then when we come into our own, we become slaves by choice, as the Scriptures say:

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34 NLT)

However, this is a part of a larger story because the Scriptures also say:

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15-17 NLT)

This then is why it is important that Moses and Aaron and Jesus came from the line of ordinary people, that we might all be saved by the one man, Jesus Christ.

There is another reason it is important to understand that Moses and Aaron were just normal people. The Scriptures tell us:

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT)

As far as the promises of God and salvation are concerned, it makes no difference what your family background is. We are all one in Christ. Galatians 3:28 says:

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28 NLT)

Now is the time that Jesus spoke of when He said:

Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. (John 4:21-23 NLT)

God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is not looking for a pedigree, a perfect family, an exceptionally talented person or a superstar. He is looking for you, with your family background and talents, whatever they may be, and He is calling you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Will you accept the call?

The Lord Your God

Exodus 6:1-13

Moses accused the Lord of doing evil to the people of Israel. In Exodus 5:22-23, Moses says:

Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 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." (Exodus 5:22-23 ESV)

Moses is considered a man of God. He was used by God to deliver God’s people out of their slavery in Egypt and to give the law. But, here he is accusing God of doing wrong.

Have you ever accused God? Have you ever asked something like, “Why did you ever send me?”

Moses is not the only one in Scripture who made such accusations against God. For example, Job accused God of turning cruel toward him without cause.

God answered Job by showing Job who God is. God answers Moses by proclaiming to Moses who He is.

God begins His answer to Moses with a statement of His purpose. He says:

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. (Exodus 6:1 ESV)

We see God’s purpose in that He is going to show His strong hand through Pharaoh. God is using Pharaoh to demonstrate His power. Men and Women/mankind tend to think of themselves as mighty and powerful. Kings and queens are at the pinnacle or height of human power. Pharaoh was the leader of the mightiest nation on earth. He was the ruler of one of the greatest cultures in history. And, God is going to use Pharaoh to show His power. In Exodus 9:16, God tells Pharaoh:

But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:16 ESV)

It does not matter how we think we have risen to power or position. God says He raised Pharaoh up, and this is true of each of us. In the Biblical account of Esther, her relative Mordecai points out that God raised her up “for such a time as this.”

God is not helpless before time and chance. The Psalmist tells us:

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalms 139:16 ESV)

God knows the days that were formed for me before one of them has passed. God does not explain to us how we can exercise the power of choice, and yet He remains completely sovereign. However, He explains:

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. (Psalms 4:3 ESV)

As Moses confronts the Sovereignty of God in light of the adverse events of his first encounter with Pharaoh, he is disappointed and angry with God. He says, “Why did you ever send me?” In Exodus 6:2-8, God answers Moses’ questions. He has stated His purpose “to show His power,” and now God explains some about His person.

God acts based on who He is!

Humanity acts based upon who we are, and our history is not pretty. Pharaoh’s mistreatment and oppression of the Hebrews is not an exception in history. It is normal. The same stuff is going on in our world today. Slavery, cruelty, injustice, and the like have not gone away and in some ways have gotten worse. This is because of who we are as human beings.

God acted based on who He was at the time He delivered Israel, at the time of the Cross, and He will act in the same way today. God tells us four things about Himself in today’s passage that assure us of how He will act.

First, He tells us His name (His character).

He tells us:

God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.” (Exodus 6:2-3 ESV)

The word or name “Yahweh/Jehovah” was known to Abraham and Isaac, according to Genesis, but God had not “made Myself known.” This indicates a fuller revelation of Himself than had been seen up to this time. We understand the same thing in the New Testament as Hebrews 1:1-3 says:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV)

As indicated by these verses, the revelation of God to His people is progressive. Revelation builds upon itself so that new revelations add to what is already known. At the time of Jesus, the only Scripture available was the Old Testament. Now we have the New Testament in addition to the Old Testament. The Scriptures are complete and not to be added to, but God will still reveal more when Jesus returns.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had seen the mighty power of God and were experiencing God as a covenant-making God, but now Moses and the people of Israel were going to experience more of the meaning of God’s covenant name. In the same manner, we now know more fully what it means that God is our Savior because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Along with His name, God reveals His faithfulness.

God is a faithful God. This means He keeps His promises. He does not lie, He does not forget, and He does not change.

In Exodus 6:4-5, God says:

I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. (Exodus 6:4-5 ESV)

Hundreds of years later, God has not forgotten His covenant. He promised to make Abraham into a great nation, and now He is going to keep that promise. In Genesis 15:13-14, God promised Abraham both that his offspring would be slaves in a foreign land and that God would deliver them from their slavery after 400 years.

God is faithful. He does not change. He keeps His word. Jesus said it best when He said:

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:18 ESV)

The name and the faithfulness of God form a firm foundation for our faith. But, God does not stop with these two things. He next shows us His grace, tender mercies or compassion.

In Exodus 6:6-7, He says:

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. 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.’ (Exodus 6:6-7 ESV)

Pay special attention to the statement, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.” God is stating His intention to adopt these people as His own. We know now that His purpose was to bring salvation to all nations through Jesus Christ, born King of the Jews. We know that God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) We see in the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt the act of a loving God who delivers us even when we do not deserve it.

We also have been made the people of God, His own special possession and partakers in the promises of God.

The name, faithfulness and compassion of God give us solid reasons to trust Him even when it seems that His promises have failed. He has demonstrated over and over that He is a merciful, loving Father to His children. But He takes it one step further in answering Moses’ complaints. He says:

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. (Exodus 6:8 ESV)

The Lord promises to bring them into the land. God’s promise to Abraham had been:

And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:8 ESV)

God’s promises include an inheritance, riches and blessings.

Some misunderstand the riches and look for worldly riches, but for us in the Church, the promises are not for money. Jesus told Pilate:

My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place. (John 18:36 NIV)

Please consider with me, many translations leave out the word “now” in this verse. The word is there in the Greek text I looked at. The significance of this is whether or not Jesus will set up an earthly kingdom at some point.

Psalms 24 tells us that “the Earth is the Lord’s.” However, if you will recall, God gave dominion over the earth to mankind, and when mankind sinned, he gave up dominion to the one who is called the prince and power of the air. Part of God’s redemption of the earth is the restoration of the natural order. Psalms 2:7-8 tells us:

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalms 2:7-8 ESV)

This earthly kingdom is for the Son of God to claim and possess. Jesus has left us, His gathering of those He has called out for Himself, a mission. He has given us a job, an assignment. He told us:

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, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

In short, we are to be building a kingdom, not of this realm. The riches and inheritance we seek are not those of the earth. Ephesians 1:3 explains to us:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3 ESV)

The promise for us is found in John 14:1-3.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3 ESV)

In one sense, the Israelites were looking for the same thing. What good would it have been to have the Promised Land, but not have eternal life? Yet, part of the promise of God was the land.

At the time of Moses, we see in Exodus 6:9-14 that neither the children of Israel or Moses and Aaron had the faith to take God at His word. The children of Israel were too defeated to believe and Moses was still stuck worrying about his own ability to speak. But God said, “Just do it!”

There are times when we have run up against things that leave us accusing God like Moses, and we have to take the word of God as truth even though we do not feel it. Sometimes faith requires us to “just do it” even though it seems useless to us.

For example, where is the promise of Jesus’ return? Hasn’t it been two thousand years? Why does He delay? Many have ceased believing He will ever come back. However, we must remember.

1.     God’s name. (His character as revealed in history.)

2.     God’s faithfulness.

3.     God’s compassion.

4.     God’s promises.

The Trouble with Being Delivered

Exodus 4:27-5:23

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. (Exodus 5:23 ESV)

Moses and his brother, Aaron, arrived in Egypt ready to deliver the Israelites from their slavery. Sent by God, they were confident of their success.

Exodus chapter 4 ends with Moses and Aaron meeting in the wilderness. Exodus 4:27 tells us that the Lord told Aaron to go meet Moses in the wilderness. The wilderness is a vast area. If I told you to go meet someone in California, where would you go first? San Diego? Los Angeles? San Francisco? Sacramento? Sequoia National Park?  Also, when would you go?

We are not told how God directed Moses and Aaron as to their meeting place, but they would have had to have more direction than Moses tells us about. The Holy Spirit would have spoken to each one of them to bring them to the same place at the same time. This would have been the beginning of confidence building. The Lord told Moses He would give Aaron as a partner, and now He brings them together.

The text tells us that when they met, Aaron kissed Moses. This little detail is included to help us see the warmth with which these two brothers came together. This meeting made an impression on Moses so that he wrote about it years later.

The brothers are bonded by being directed by the Lord to their meeting and they are encouraged by their mutual affection for each other. Then, Moses tells Aaron all the words of the Lord and all the signs God commanded Him to perform.

Filled with confidence in their God-given duty and the success of their mission, they approach the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron told the people what the Lord had said and Moses performed the signs. In Exodus 4:31, Moses tells us:

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. (Exodus 4:31 ESV)

By telling us the people bowed their heads and worshiped, Moses is telling us the people were overcome with gratitude for their coming deliverance.

When people have lost hope, the promise of deliverance brings great excitement and joy. The promise of deliverance restores hope, and hope makes the heart glad.

The gospel promises deliverance.

Jesus said:

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 ESV)

Jesus promises eternal life, abundant life and He promises to set us free, free from slavery to sin and free from fear. When we first set out on the journey of following Jesus, often great excitement and joy accompany the beginning of our journey because of restored hope. Notice the word “journey.” This means that the trip covers an undetermined distance and demands stamina. Endurance is required. Jesus said:

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:20-21 ESV)

Using the image of seed sown on rocky ground, Jesus explains that some begin the journey with joy and excitement, but when hardship comes, they fall away.

Moses, Aaron and the people of Israel are full of joy and hope when they approach Pharaoh. They go to Pharaoh and say:

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” (Exodus 5:1, ESV)

Moses and Aaron used the name “Yahweh.” The sacred, covenant name of the Lord. In that day, to the present, this “name” of the Lord is so sacred to the observant Jew that they fear to pronounce it. We actually pronounce it either “Jehovah” or “Yahweh,” depending on which transliteration is used, and as is the case in today’s passage, translations of the Bible often translate the “name” as the “LORD.” In many translations, the “LORD” in all capital letters indicates that it is a translation of the name “Yahweh” or “Jehovah.”

Moses and Aaron could not have appealed to a higher authority. Jehovah, Himself, had spoken. Pharaoh should have bowed before the God of all creation and submitted to His will. However, consider Pharaoh’s words:

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." (Exodus 5:2 ESV)

Pharaoh uses the “name” twice. First, he says, “Who is the Lord?” And second, he says, “I do not know the Lord.”

When we begin the journey of deliverance, we do it because we have met with God. The Holy Spirit has made us aware of our slavery and of the promise of life and deliverance in Jesus Christ. However, those who have not had the same experience think that we are imagining it, believing in fairy tales and are deceived or fooled.

The trouble with being delivered is that one must choose between the wisdom of men or the wisdom of God.

Moses and Aaron are surprised by Pharaoh’s response and change their approach. They next say:

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. (Exodus 5:3 ESV)

Notice the complete shift in tone. Moses and Aaron make an appeal, using the word “please.” They also do not say, “Thus says the Lord,” but rather say, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” showing more of an explanation than an appeal to authority.

Again, Pharaoh responds:

Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens. (Exodus 5:4 ESV)

Pharaoh discounts what Moses and Aaron are saying. Ignoring their message, he says, “Get back to work!”

The New Testament warns us of this response. When we have found the wisdom of God for our deliverance, the world sees us as foolish. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)

We start out excited about our deliverance, and yet there are those in our lives who refuse to discuss or even acknowledge that we have met with God. What is to us the most significant thing in our lives is completely discounted. This can make it difficult if a spouse or parent is the one who refuses to acknowledge that something significant has happened.

The trouble with being delivered is that others may not acknowledge what is going on.

After Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge what Moses and Aaron just told him, Exodus 5:6-9 tells us:

The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 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.' Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words." (Exodus 5:6-9 ESV)

Moses and Aaron came to Egypt excited about the prospect of God’s deliverance. Now they are meeting with active resistance. Life is about to get a lot more difficult for the people of Israel. The Israelites were living under such bad conditions that they probably did not think about how much worse it could get. This command of Pharaoh made it impossible for the Israelites to meet their work quotas so their foremen were beaten as punishment. Exodus 5:15 tells us:

Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this? 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." But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks." (Exodus 5:15-18 ESV)

The foremen of the people of Israel appealed to man and to reason to find relief, but could find no help there. They made the mistake many of us make when we are seeking deliverance. We seek for help where there is no help.

The Israelites were in a spiritual battle and did not realize it. The same is often true of us.

The problem with being delivered is that things almost always get worse before they get better, and in response, we seek help in the wrong place.

Slavery does not give up its victims easily. Slavery to sin, which is slavery to our flesh, does not give up its grip easily. We all have systems built into our lives to help maintain our favorite sins. We have habits built into our daily routines. We have friends consistent with our tastes. To deliver us from these things, the Lord must first disrupt our patterns and thus our comfort.

Our lives start falling apart. We do not see the Lord’s hand, but we panic because our lives become unmanageable. Not realizing the spiritual nature of the battle, we go to the wrong places for help. We start trying to fix what we see as the problems. However, if we are to be delivered, we must trust God and what He is doing. We must let God fix us rather than try to fix our unmanageable lives in our own strength.

This is harder to do than it sounds. Look at the point that Moses was driven to. Exodus 5:22-23 says:

Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 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." (Exodus 5:22-23 ESV)

Moses complains to the Lord that He has not delivered His people. Moses was expecting God to immediately show His mighty hand of deliverance and for the people of Israel to walk out, but that is not how God chose to deliver His people. 

We also cannot expect deliverance to take place immediately. Sometimes it does, but usually God takes us through a journey of deliverance to help us grow. This is why James 1:2 tells us to consider it pure joy when we encounter various trials. In Matthew 24:12-13, Jesus tells us:

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13 ESV)

We must have endurance. Moses was driven to the point of giving up with his first encounter with Pharaoh. And, Jesus warns us that many will give up when they encounter the trouble with being delivered.  Many never know the joy of being free because they encounter the trouble with being delivered and give up.

“Would you be free from your burden of sin? There is power in the blood...”

The words of the song are true. Forgiveness and cleansing are instantaneous and complete when we ask Jesus to save us. Adoption and acceptance into the family of God happen immediately upon accepting Jesus by faith. But the process of becoming like Jesus is not immediate. Romans 8:29 tells us:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29 ESV)

He has predestined us to be conformed but He does not do it all at once.

In Exodus 6:1, God tells Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.”

If we ask God for deliverance, we have His promise that He will deliver us. But, we must trust Him. Usually, or almost always, things get much worse before they get better. We must not seek to fight a spiritual battle with our usual human tools. Imagine, they went to Pharaoh to fix a problem that Pharaoh was causing. You also will look to solve your problem in a manner that is probably a big part of a cause.

The best example I can think of is that we try to fix relationship problems by telling the other person what they are doing wrong. BIG MISTAKE.  Let God fix YOU in the relationship and trust God to fix the relationship. I guarantee you that if you ask God to fix the relationship, things are going to get worse before they get better, and God will work on you. That’s the trouble with being delivered.

The Trouble with Following the Lord

Exodus 4:18-26

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!" (Exodus 4:25 ESV)

The name of Moses is so closely related to God’s law that the law is referred to by the name “Moses.” For example, a person speaking of what the law says might say, “Moses tells us ...”

God’s appearance to Moses in the burning bush is so well known that a reference to “the burning bush” is all it takes for a person to know that both Moses and God are involved.

Moses is well known because he followed the Lord. He followed God. He obeyed God. In following the Lord, Moses laid the groundwork for an efficient system of government, established the nation of Israel, and he wrote some of the most enduring and ancient literature that is being printed even to this day.

However, the route to such notoriety was not always easy or smooth. In the last few messages, we have listened in on the conversation between God and Moses at the burning bush and seen that Moses was reluctant to do what God was asking. Today, we pick up the story as Moses tells of his return to Midian to collect his family and let his relatives know he is going back to Egypt. As we go through Moses’ account, we will see the trouble with following the Lord. Three things show up in Moses’ account that were troublesome for Moses and will be troublesome for anyone who wants to follow the Lord. These are:

1.       You have to leave what you know.

2.       You have to go where you are not welcome.

3.       You have to do what you don’t want.

Another way of referring to this is to call it “The Cost of Discipleship.” But, Dietrich Bonhoeffer already has a copyright on that title, so we are going to talk about “The Trouble with Following the Lord.” In Moses’ case, the three things we just talked about as being troublesome are seen in three things he had to do.

1.       He had to uproot.

2.       He had to confront Pharaoh.

3.       He had to circumcise his sons.

We pick up the story in Exodus 4:18, where Moses tells us:

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." (Exodus 4:18 ESV)

If you will remember with me, Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s sheep when God appeared to him in the burning bush. He needed to return the sheep to their owner. Also, we see that Moses asks for his father-in-law’s permission to go. Most of the commentators that I looked at stated that people lived in tribal communities or family groups, and these groups were usually reluctant to let people leave.

Moses had lived 40 years with Jethro and had become part of the family. Exodus 2:21 tells us that “Moses was content to dwell with the man.” Moses wrote this, and he is telling us that he was happy where he was. He was satisfied or pleased to live with Jethro as part of his family.

As a result, it appears that Moses was still reluctant to go even after he had Jethro’s blessing. Exodus 4:19 tells us, “And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.’”

Not only was Moses going to have to give up living where he was comfortable, but he was also going to go back to where there were people that wanted him dead. So, God gives Him the assurance that those who sought his life were no longer living. Exodus 4:20 tells us:

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.” (Exodus 4:20 ESV)

Moses had been uprooted once before. He had left Egypt and everything he knew and been a stranger in a strange land. Now, he was uprooting again, but this time with a purpose. He took with him his wife, his sons and the symbol of God’s calling.

Many of us leave behind family, friends and pleasures when we decide to follow Jesus. Jesus said:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26 ESV)

Even if we do not move physically, following Jesus means choosing Him and His way over what we have been content to consider our home. It means choosing Him over the pleasures we have sought and the comforts we love. That is the trouble with following the Lord and why many choose not to.

In addition to leaving what one knows, the Lord also calls us to go where we are not welcome. We see this in Moses’ life in the message he is told to take to Pharaoh. Exodus 4:21-23 tells us:

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. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 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.'" (Exodus 4:21-23 ESV)

In telling Moses to be sure to perform all the miracles that God had given Him, God is also suggesting that Pharaoh would not be receptive to Moses or be willing to believe what he was saying.

In addition, God tells Moses plainly that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh would refuse to do what Moses said.

If that is not enough, God also tells Moses to threaten Pharaoh with the loss of his firstborn son. Of course, this is guaranteed to make Pharaoh want to welcome Moses and his message warmly(NOT).

Our commitment to the gospel parallels these three points. We are commanded by our Lord to preach the gospel. We have the Bible that we claim to be the word of God, without error in its original manuscripts and accurate in every detail. This is supported by history and manuscript evidence. We also claim that the prophecies of the Bible are 100 percent accurate and have been fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy to this point. This claim is also supported by history and the available evidence.

Furthermore, we claim that Jesus rose from the dead, another claim supported by history. These claims and their evidence parallel the signs that Moses was given to perform, and yet there is much resistance to these pieces of evidence. Ever since the time of Christ, inventors of alternate explanations, liars and enemies have been there to explain away these facts. Like Pharaoh, our world does not want to receive our message.

In addition to a lack of receptivity, God promises an absolute refusal to listen. In the case of Pharaoh, God says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart. Jesus told us:

They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. (John 16:2-3 ESV)

The world hates the message of the gospel. Again, to quote the words of Jesus:

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19 ESV)

In God’s words to Moses, we see that God tells Moses, “I will harden his heart...” For this reason alone, many hate God. Many say that God is unjust that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and then punish him for it. When addressed with this question in Romans 9, the Scriptures say:

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Romans 9:14-18 ESV)

As we see in this passage of Romans, for God, it is a question of mercy. Why should God put up with any of us? Why are we not all destroyed? Justice demands that we all die for our sin against God and each other, and yet here we are. Why? It is because of God’s mercy that we are not destroyed. God is not unjust, He is merciful, and for that, many hate Him, taking His mercy and patience as justification of their sin and rebellion against God.

This now takes us to the third parallel. Moses delivered a message that confronted Pharaoh’s stubbornness. What I have just been saying confronts the stubborn, sinful rebellion of the world, and it is a very, very unpopular message, is often equated with hate speech and is not acceptable to many. No one likes to be told they are a sinner, and even less acceptable is the message that God condemns the unrepentant sinner to eternal, conscious punishment in hell, described as the “lake of fire.” However, this is part of the gospel message and is the unpleasant, confrontational message we are to deliver.

So far, we have seen that the trouble with following the Lord is:

1.       You have to leave what you know.

2.       You have to go where you are not welcome.

The third thing we see is that you have to do what you do not want to do. We see Moses confronted with this difficulty in Exodus 4:24-26.

At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 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!" So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:24-26 ESV)

Many misconceptions and assumptions are taught about this passage, so let us look carefully at what it says. First, it says that the Lord met Moses and sought to put him to death. It does not say what form God took or even if God was visible. Second, it tells us that Zipporah took a flint and circumcised her son. We are not given enough detail to know why or how Zipporah knew that this is what needed to be done.

Then there are the words that she spoke to Moses, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” Interpretations abound for this saying. It is an ambiguous verse. The word is cast it at his feet, and it is not clear if she cast it at God’s feet or at Moses’ feet. There is also the possibility of interpreting the meaning that she cast herself at his feet. So, put off all the marital problems that you think Moses had. Many commentators suggest that by saying “a bridegroom of blood,” she was suggesting that their marriage was now sealed with the blood of their son as a sign of her love. 

The reason I am spending time on what is unclear is to emphasize what is clear. It is clear that God was displeased with Moses. It is clear that the issue was circumcision, the sign of the covenant. For whatever reason, Moses did not want to do this. He had not done it. But God had said:

…both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. (Genesis 17:13-14 ESV)

Some things that are not optional if we are to follow the Lord. Moses did not want to do this, but, as he found out, it was not optional. Jesus said:

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 ESV)

Denying ourselves, dying to our flesh and following Jesus are not optional. A cross is an instrument for killing the flesh. We are crucified with Christ. We may not want to do this, but it is where we go if we are following Christ.

The trouble with following the Lord is that we must go His way. Jesus said:

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)

The way is hard that leads to life, but the alternative is death. Which way do you choose?