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?

Oh, My Lord

Exodus 4:10-17

But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." Exodus 4:13 ESV

When God met with Moses on Mt. Sinai, at the burning bush, He took the time to answer Moses’ questions and objections. God tells us He is slow to anger. Moses tells us God is slow to anger. But, God got angry with Moses. Why? God knows our form, that we are but dust. God understands our weakness. Why would He get angry?

We are going to look at the interaction between God and Moses and try to figure out why God got angry, and what we can do to avoid making the same mistake Moses made.

Now, I must clarify. I said “mistake,” but what we are talking about is sin. Moses sinned, and we see this in what Moses wrote. By his open admission and frank description of his sin, Moses helps us. This is a principle we can apply to all of our relationships. An open admission of our faults, shortcomings, oversights and/or mistakes can go a long way toward repairing the damage or healing the relationship.

Let us consider the interaction between God and Moses. Moses raises two objections. First, he says he is not a good speaker. Next, he suggests that God can find someone else. Exodus 4:10 says:

But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." (Exodus 4:10 ESV)

God deals with this speech issue and we will look at that, but let us consider where Moses starts. He says, “Oh, my Lord.” The actual words in the Hebrew are “bî ’ă·ḏō·nāy.” This can be translated “Please, Lord,” or “If it please the Lord.” He uses this same phrase in verse 13 when he says, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” The phrase “Oh, my Lord” is significant because of the attitude it reflects. The particle or word “bî” was used by an inferior making a plea to a superior or to a ruler. Joseph's brothers used it when they spoke with Joseph’s steward, when they expected to be taken captive and made slaves (Genesis 43:20). Judah used it when he pled with Joseph for Benjamin (Genesis 44:18). Aaron used it when he pled for Miriam to be healed of leprosy (Numbers 13:11). There is an apologetic or appeasing feel to it, and also a begging or pleading tone. An example that uses more words would be Abraham’s pleading in Genesis 18:32 when he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once." Abraham felt that he was trying God’s patience, and yet he needed to keep pleading for the sake of Lot who was in danger in Sodom.

What we see in Moses’ pleading is an unwillingness to accept the Lord’s call on his life. There is a lot going on here, and I am going to address what I can as sensitively as I am able.

The first time Moses objects using his pleading tone, God answers his objection. God’s answer takes on a different tone as God answers with a question. Moses says, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” And, God responds:

“Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11 ESV)

Moses is reluctant or unwilling to accept the Lord’s call, and part of his reluctance is his speaking ability. Acts 7:22 tells us:

“And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.” (Acts 7:22 ESV)

Fluent or persuasive speech is not always a sign of wisdom, nor is wisdom always accompanied by fluent and persuasive speech. There were those who said of the Apostle Paul, “... his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” (2 Corinthians 10:10 NASB) Imagine that! One of the most powerful figures of history had a weak personal presence and contemptible speech! Moses was about to become one of the most influential figures of history, but according to his own testimony, he could not speak well. We often use the wrong standards to judge whether a person is worthy of our trust, mistaking smooth speech for wise words. If a person does not speak consistently with what God says in His word, they are not worthy of our trust.

God addresses Moses’ concern about his speaking ability by saying:

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. (Exodus 4:12 ESV)

God promises to be with Moses’ mouth and teach him what he should speak. The maker of heaven and earth, and the maker of mouths and speech is promising to give Moses what he needs.

This is important for us to remember. God never speaks without bringing it to pass. We are told quite clearly in Numbers 23:19:

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19 ESV)

And again in Psalm 89:34:

I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. (Psalms 89:34 ESV)

God’s word is fixed forever in Heaven. (Psalms 119:89) Jesus, himself, said of the word of God:

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)

We can judge how we should speak by the word of God.

Because of the importance of God’s word, the Bible is subject to more attack, criticism and abuse than any other book. However, because of the constant and historically long scrutiny the Bible has undergone, we can have confidence in the Bible like no other book. Any person who says the Bible contradicts itself speaks either from ignorance or ill motives. Let me put a question to you. Do you really think that thousands of years of criticism and scrutiny have not exposed every conceivable weakness of the text of Scripture? I would challenge you to seriously study any contradictions you may find in the Bible for yourself. First, you must find them in the Bible yourself, and second, you must study them with a willingness to change your mind if you find you are wrong.

We have wagered our lives on the belief that the Bible is the word of God, and yet many of us do not read it and are afraid to speak up in its defense. How can this be? God has made to us the same promise He made to Moses. Jesus taught us:

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:11-12 ESV)

When giving Moses the assurance that He would be with his mouth, God says, “Now go!”

This is a clear signal that the discussion is over. Whenever my parents said, “Now go,” I knew that they were finished talking about it.

God is giving the same kind of signal, and yet Moses, using the same pleading tone says:

Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. (Exodus 4:13 ESV)

Now we understand why God got angry. Now the text tells us God got angry. Moses is talking back. God already signaled the end of the discussion.  Moses has revealed a character flaw that God does not take lightly. 

 God tells us something about Himself that is significant here. Hebrews 10:35-38 will work well as an explanation. It tells us:

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:35-38 ESV)

God expects confidence and perseverance, and he says, “...if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” In other words, God does not like cowardice. He told Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6, 9). Moses shows timidity or a lack of confidence in the objections he makes, and God provides answers. However, there comes a point where God says, “Enough!”

2 Timothy 1:6-7 says:

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV)

Timothy apparently had a tendency to be timid, and at some points all may have such a tendency because God takes the time to remind all of us that His Spirit is not one of fear.

Even though God expects Moses to trust Him, just as He expects us to trust Him, God answers Moses’ timidity by giving him a partner. Ecclesiastes 4:12 teaches the principle that two are better than one.  It says:

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV)

There were times when Moses had to stand alone, even against his brother, but the two became co-leaders of Israel. And it was just as God said:

You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. (Exodus 4:15-16 ESV)

Next, the Lord gives Moses a push to get going. He basically says, “Now don’t forget your staff!) This reminds me of a mother seeing a child off to school. “Now don’t forget your books!”

God is done talking about it. He is saying clearly, “Now get going!”

God has given us a calling to spread the gospel. 

He has given us the Bible, His word.

He has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us what to say.

He has given us each other and commanded us not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together. We are to encourage each other while it is still called today (Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11)

We need to be aware lest fear or timidity holds us back.

A Staff

Exodus 4:1-9

The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." Exodus 4:2 ESV

God appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai in a burning bush and told Moses He was sending him to bring the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt. Moses had several objections. The first one was, what should Moses tell the people about who had sent him?  God told Moses to tell them the God of their fathers had sent him, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The name and identity of God is trustworthy. We can trust in Him.

However, Moses had another objection. He said:

What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’? (Exodus 4:1 NLT)

“What if they will not believe me?”

Moses brings out the willfulness of people. Believing is a choice we make. He asks, ”What if they will not believe me?” The ”will not” implies an act of the will, a choice. He asks, “What if they will not believe me?” The “will not” implies an act of the will, a choice. We never believe against our will. We may be convinced, but at some point in the convincing process we make a choice to believe. Moses realizes that some people will not believe him and what is more, he realizes that some people will choose not to listen to him.

The person who chooses not to listen is impossible to convince until he or she can be persuaded to listen. Many, if not most, of our disagreements can be worked through if we choose to listen. However, even the most dedicated lovers will have issues upon which they disagree and choose to agree to disagree. So, I recognize that learning to listen is not the only thing necessary to solve disagreements. But, a willingness to listen is a necessary first step.

People will normally refuse to change their opinion or their chosen course of action. Some change quicker than others, and then, there are those who refuse to change even on the threat of death. Moses expects resistance. He says,

What if they say, “The Lord never appeared to you”?

The Lord answered Moses by giving him three signs to use to convince the people to believe him. Since believing is a choice, these signs have value as evidence that God had appeared to Moses and they also served as warnings not to take the voice of God lightly.

Many of us will change our opinion or chosen course of action if presented with evidence. Evidence is not guaranteed to work, and not all evidence works for everybody. The same sign that convinces you may not convince me. So, God gives three separate, distinct signs.

However, some people show dogged determination not to change their position or stance. For these individuals, the signs God gives Moses hold implied threat.

As much as we would like to think that everybody will automatically accept the truth if it is made obvious, this is just not the way it is. Often, the truth in and of itself is not enough to motivate us. Whereas, the fear of loss or threat of pain, often is.

As God begins to address Moses’ concern, He asks Moses a question. He says,

What is that in your hand? (Exodus 4:2 ESV)

God can see. He made our eyes, and He knew what Moses had in his hand. God is deliberately getting Moses’ attention. Moses had a shepherd’s staff in his hand. He was a shepherd and the staff was the tool of his trade. After 40 years as a shepherd, the staff would have been like Moses’ right hand. It was as common and ordinary to him as a hammer is to a carpenter or a pencil to an engineer or a calculator to an accountant.

The first lesson we glean from the three signs God gives Moses is that God uses the common and ordinary to do extraordinary things. If you are an accountant, God can use your calculator for His glory. If you are an engineer, God can use your pencil for his glory. And, if you are a carpenter, God can use your hammer for His glory. The glory was not in the staff. The glory and power came from God.

Moses tells us:

The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— "that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." (Exodus 4:2-5 ESV)

When Moses threw his staff on the ground, it became a serpent. Being a shepherd in the wilderness, this was not the first serpent Moses saw. Snakes are part of life in the wilderness. One of the things the staff was used for was talking to snakes or snake charming. If charmed just right with a crushing blow to the head, a snake will become inert and as docile as a stuffed animal. However, when the staff becomes a snake, the shepherd has no means of charming the snake. So, Moses tells us he fled from the snake. Moses fleeing from the snake causes me to believe that the snake was big and the snake was poisonous.

Changing a lifeless piece of wood into a living creature is a miraculous sign, and enough evidence for a person who is willing to believe. However, the symbolism of this sign is significant. The symbol of the cobra was prominent on the crown of the king of Egypt as a sign of divine authority. So, for Moses’ staff to become a snake was a clear indication of divine sanction of his mission. The implied threat is that to defy Moses is to defy the Deity.

God says He gave this sign for a specific reason. Exodus 4:5 says,

"that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." (Exodus 4:5 ESV)

The words “may believe” imply and enabling of belief. God does not expect us to believe in the absence of evidence. For example, the Gospel of John was written so that we can believe. In it, we have seven miraculous signs accompanied by seven discourse all given by Jesus so that we can believe. John 20:30-31 says:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 ESV)

Here again is the “may believe.” For the one who is willing, the sign is enough. However, God gives Moses a second sign.

Exodus 4:6-8 says:

Again, the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.” (Exodus 4:6-8 ESV)

“If they will not believe you or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.”

God knows that not every sign carries the same meaning for every person. After all, we see later in the book of Exodus that the Egyptian sorcerers were able to change their staffs into serpents. Some miraculous signs are faked or mimicked. Satan poses as an angel of light. So, some have trusted in the false and been taken in by liars and thieves. There are multiple strands to the rope on which Moses is asking the children of Israel to hang their hopes. There is the name of God, which gives us hope. There is the character of God which gives us confidence. And there is the power of God, which gives us strength. God is not asking for uninformed blind faith. He gives information and He gives evidence.

However, with the second sign comes an even stronger implied threat. Leprosy was the incurable disease of that day. It was not until the 20th century that we have been able to offer any hope to those with leprosy. This sign clearly signaled God’s ability to touch the body, to give health and to take it away. It is not that God is childishly sulky and bad tempered, but rather to ignore His message and messenger carries with it extremely bad consequences. The children of Israel were in danger of extinction at the hands of the Egyptians, and had lost hope to the point they were not willing to trust even the messenger of God who was sent to deliver them.

It is the same way with people in the world today. They have been lied to and taken advantage of to the point that they are unwilling to believe even the messenger of God who is sent to deliver them. And, without the urgency of impending doom, many will not make a move to be free.

After changing the staff to a snake and giving and curing leprosy, God gives a third sign. Exodus 4:9 says:

“If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." (Exodus 4:9 ESV)

This sign is disturbing. Some people faint at the sight of blood. Blood means life, and blood being poured out is a sign of death. With this sign, God makes it clear what is at stake. This is a matter of life and death. To stay in Egypt would be to die. God had sent a deliverer and to ignore him would mean death without hope of rescue.

The picture for us is even more severe or bare in appearance. The blood that Jesus poured out on the cross was not symbolic nor was it meant to imply anything. The blood that Jesus poured out was poured out for our salvation and deliverance. It was poured out to pay for our conduct that breaks God’s laws and standards. It was not symbolic at all. It was direct payment for sin. To ignore His blood is to remain with no hope of deliverance or forgiveness. Hebrews 10:26-29 instructs us when it says:

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29 ESV)

The three signs that God gave Moses have been given to us today.

We have the authority of law, government and nature that show us that there is a divine law giver. We see the consequences of the serpent’s work in the world around us so that we know that we need a deliverer. We know that we, along with the rest of humanity, must pay for our conduct that has broken the laws of nature, government and God.

We see the brokenness of our bodies by sin and disease and know that this is not right and we long for bodies that successfully heal themselves all the time, like they were designed to do. When we are young, we long for the strength of adulthood and when we are old, we long for the strength of youth. The longing tells us that we were made for so much more.

We have the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although His blood was poured out, He rose again from the dead. To ignore His blood is to ignore our only hope for deliverance.

Why do we persist in unbelief? Why do we doggedly refuse to change our opinions and ways in view of both the evidence and the great danger?

Please choose to believe, for your own sake.

The God of Your Fathers

Exodus 3:13-22

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13 ESV)

The burning bush marked a turning point in Moses’ life and in the course of history. God came down and directly and obviously intervened in the affairs of men. For the discerning mind, God’s continuous involvement in everything that concerns us is obvious. However, at the time of Moses, God’s involvement took on a visible directness as we see in the burning bush and, later, in the pillar of fire and cloud.

Moses was given a part in God’s plan. God told Moses directly:

“Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10 ESV)

Moses immediately saw some problems with this. He raised some objections. The first objection is what we see in Exodus 3:13. It can be summoned up in the statement, “They will not believe me.” Moses says, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?” His concern is that the people are not automatically going to trust him or believe what he is telling them. In God’s answer to Moses, we see three truths that teach us that we can trust God.

Jesus insisted that His disciples trust Him. In John 14:1, He says:

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1 ESV)

Questions and doubts are common to all of us. This is why the disciples needed to be encouraged by Jesus and why God took the time to answer Moses’ question. The truths of Exodus 3:13-22 lay the foundation for trust in God.

The first truth is God’s greatness.

Another way of saying this is, “We can trust God because of who He is.”

The first part of God’s response to Moses is recorded in Exodus 3:14.

God said to Moses, " I am who I am." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: ' I am has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14 ESV)

God is not giving His proper name here. He is saying, “I am what I am.”

While not being a proper name, this statement has significant meaning. I like the comment from Ellicott. He says:

It is generally assumed that this is given to Moses as the full name of God. But perhaps it is rather a deep and mysterious statement of His nature. "I am that which I am." My nature, i.e., cannot be declared in words, cannot be conceived of by human thought. I exist in such sort that my whole inscrutable nature is implied in my existence. I exist, as nothing else does--necessarily, eternally, really. If I am to give myself a name expressive of my nature, so far as language can be, let me be called "I AM."^[1]

The idea that God’s nature cannot be declared in words is consistent with what God reveals about Himself. When the Angel of the Lord told Samson’s father that he would have a son, Manoah asked for His name. The Angel of the Lord responded:

“Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” (Judges 13:18 NIV)

God is great and glorious beyond our ability to comprehend. For example, after Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and to the mountain of God, the Lord met with Moses on top of the mountain. There Moses asked to see God’s glory, and God said:

"I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The Lord.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." (Exodus 33:19-20 ESV)

God is not being secretive or evasive. He is stating the truth. He is too great for us to understand. Therefore, His statement of “I am” is the best that our limited understanding can receive. For Moses, who was facing a challenge much greater than him, much greater than his ability or competence. This was the kind of reassurance he needed. If Moses had limitations, God did not, does not.

This is also important for us. If we have limitations, God does not. Whatever we face, God is greater. We can trust Him.

The second truth God reveals to Moses is that He identifies with His people.

We find this truth in verse 15.

“God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:15 ESV)

“This is my name forever.” While a name that captures His nature is not possible for us to understand, the name that God chooses to be known by is “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” This is astounding. As imperfect as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were God chooses to identify Himself with them, eternally.

This same God chose to identify Himself as the God of Israel, and He chooses to identify Himself with us. This has tremendous implications. In Zechariah 2:8, it says:

For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. (Zechariah 2:8 ESV)

To give us an idea of how closely the Lord holds His people, He compares us to the “apple of his eye.” This refers to the most sensitive part of the eye and is meant to convey how precious God’s people are to Him. Romans 8:32 says of Him:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV)

This kind of affection for His people is reflected in the fact that God chooses to go by the name “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” When it came to the question of trust, God could give no greater assurance than His identification with His people. God basically said, “I am the same God who made the promise to Abraham.” Moses and we can trust God because of His identification with His people.

After giving Moses the assurance that He was big enough and that He was involved, God gives one more truth that engenders trust. God knows the future. In verses 18-22, God tells Moses exactly what is going to happen. He says:

And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.' But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians." (Exodus 3:18-22 ESV)

Here, God is telling Moses exactly what will happen. God does this for His people. This is how people knew to expect the coming of the Messiah. This is how we know to expect Jesus to return.

As we look at what God told Moses about what was to take place, we see a broad outline of the events. God told Moses that the elders of Israel would listen to him and believe him. Then they were to go to Pharaoh, but God told Moses that Pharaoh would not let them go. So, when Moses went and asked Pharaoh to let them go, Moses should have expected to meet with resistance. God had told him that Pharaoh would say no. God also told Moses that the king of Egypt would not let them go unless compelled by a mighty hand. Looking back, we know that this meant lots of trouble for the Israelites. When Moses went to Pharaoh to ask that the people be let go, things got a lot worse for the Israelites real fast. Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, that is why you are asking to go worship.” So, he ordered that they get their own straw for making bricks.

God’s word to Moses gave the outline and not the details, so the people thought they were going to die as a result of what Moses had done. Why did they not consider the rest of what God had said?

So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

If they only would have taken God at His word, they would have saved themselves a lot of grief.

We are the same. We have the promise of God to deliver us from all evil. We pray, “Father, save me from my besetting sin.” And then, our whole world falls apart. So, we question where God is and why He let us down. We do not consider that in order to set us free, God may have to dismantle the systems we have in place to keep our habits alive.

Everything God did in Egypt worked to dismantle the institution of slavery, and part of that included making the Israelites miserable for a time.

God has told us what is going to happen, but many have decided they do not believe what God has said. As the details fill in on the outline, humanity begins to think the plan of God has failed. 2 Peter 3:4-9 says:

They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:4-9 ESV)

When things do not go according to our human understanding, we tend to dismiss and some even mock the word of God. But, as God has demonstrated over and over, His word never fails. Everything happened just as God had told Moses, and everything will happen just as He has told us.

Notice that God says that He would cause the Egyptians to look favorably upon the Hebrews and the Hebrews would end up plundering the Egyptians. When these events began to unfold, the Hebrews knew the time was near.

It is possible to know when the time is drawing near. Jesus encouraged us to be watching and waiting. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Simeon and Anna knew it was time. They were relying on the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

At the time of Moses, their trust would have grown as first one promise and then another was fulfilled. Presently, we have thousands of years and hundreds of promises that have been fulfilled. We have evidence upon evidence that God knows and tells us the future before it happens.

In the truths that God gives to Moses to encourage trust, we find truth that we too can see as reasons to trust God.

God is greater than any challenge.

God identifies with His people.

God knows the future, and tells us what is going to happen.

If God is telling you to go to Egypt, you need to stop doubting and just go. More likely, God is telling you to deal with some situation in your life that you have not wanted to face. It is time to trust God and deal with it - whatever “it” is.

---

^[1]  https://biblehub.com/exodus/3-14.htm Accessed May 31, 2019.

I Have Come Down

Exodus 3:7-12

The burning bush was an attention getter. Fire in a place where all the vegetation is dry and extremely flammable, is dangerous. Fire that does not consume dry vegetation and does not spread is not natural. By nature, fire consumes bushes and it spreads.

The Lord got Moses’ attention by appearing in a flaming fire inside a bush. The fire was burning, but the bush was not consumed. So, Moses turned aside to see what he called a “great sight.” By turning aside, he shows that this thing has his attention.

Once God saw that the burning bush had Moses’ attention, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” Moses responded, “Here I am.” At this point, God makes it clear to Moses who it is that is addressing him. It is not just a bush. God is speaking to Moses from out of the bush. He instructs Moses to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground, and then He tells Moses, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Now, Moses is afraid. He tells us he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God, but I am pretty sure that does not express the full measure of shock, surprise and alarm felt by Moses in those moments.

To this point, we have covered only the “attention-getting” phase of this interaction between God and Moses.  In Exodus 3:7-12, the Lord introduces the reason for this meeting with Moses. He explains why He has interrupted Moses and states his purpose. He says:

I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. (Exodus 3:7 ESV)

This is now the second time Exodus has told us that God sees. Exodus 2:25 says:

God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (Exodus 2:25 ESV)

Now, God is telling Moses, “I have surely seen...” Of course, Moses recorded his experience in Hebrew and the “surely seen” is a translation of what was originally a Hebrew expression. If you look at this in the Hebrew, you see the word for “seeing” written twice. Kind of like writing “seeing, seen” in English. Another way of translating this is to say, “Seeing, I have seen.”  This expression is used to mean continuation more than certainty. The English “surely seen” gives the impression of certainty of seeing, but the actual phrase expresses a continual watching and seeing.

God has been watching, and as Exodus 2:25 says, “He knew.” But now, God adds something more to this statement. He says:

and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:8 ESV)

First, God says, “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” And second, God says, “I have come down to bring them to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Both of these statements have parallels in the gospel. The good news of the gospel is that God has been watching our slavery to sin, our lost condition and our suffering and has come down to deliver us. Jesus Christ is God come down in human flesh. He gave His body on the cross to pay for our sins, to satisfy justice and to reconcile us to God. He also came to bring us to be with Him where He is, to a new heaven and a new earth and to the city that God has prepared for us.

This is good news. And, it was good news for Moses and the people of Israel. Maybe Moses had the brief thought, “It is about time! The people have been suffering all my life and I am 80 years old.”

If God had stopped there, Moses would have said something like, “Thank you for that wonderful piece of news.” And then, he would have gone back to watching his father-in-law’s sheep.

I am afraid that this is how many of us treat the good news of God’s deliverance. So, please follow Moses’ account of what God said to Him. Moses says God said:

So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10 NIV)

Moses is no longer able to just go back to watching the sheep and doing what he has become comfortable with. Moses is shocked. He says:

Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11 ESV)

“You want ME to go and do WHAT?”

Moses had tried 40 years earlier, and all he had managed to do was to kill one oppressor. What could he do against an institutionalized abuse and oppression? The whole country of Egypt, from the king on down, was structured to perpetuate the slavery of the Israelites. What was one man supposed to do? When Moses was 40 and strong, educated and a warrior, he thought he was up to the task. Now, at 80, he realizes more than ever before in his life that this is an IMPOSSIBLE task, not difficult, not improbable, not impractical, IMPOSSIBLE.

God delights in giving impossible tasks. For example, He gave these tasks to:

•    Noah: build a 300 cubit boat

•    Abraham: sacrifice your only son

•    Joshua: conquer Jericho and all of Canaan

•    Gideon: take on a huge army with 300 men with lanterns and trumpets

•    David: kill Goliath

•    Jeremiah: proclaim judgment to an apostate nation

•    Peter: feed my sheep

•    Paul: carry the name of Jesus before the Gentiles, kings and Israel

•    Martin Luther: preach the gospel to an apostate church

•    Dietrich Bonhoeffer: preach the gospel to the Nazi regime

These are just a few examples out of the many thousands of servants of God who have been given impossible tasks. In Moses’ case, Moses had some objections, or we might say obstacles that he foresaw.

First, he believed that the people of Israel would not accept or see him as a deliverer. This objection is covered in Exodus 3:13 through 4:9. Second, Moses did not believe he had the skills necessary. In Exodus 4:10, he expresses this by raising up the issue of not being eloquent. And finally, he asks God to please send somebody else. In other words, this objection centers on “let somebody else do it.”

Experience had taught Moses. These objections actually ended up being pretty accurate. On a number of occasions, the children of Israel decided to stone Moses and were prevented only by Divine intervention. Needless to say, they were not always happy with Moses’ leadership. Regarding skills, Moses learned as he went. For example, his father-in-law at one point helped him to see that he needed to delegate some of the tasks of leadership. And then, as far as the “let somebody else do it” objection is concerned, we see Moses burdened just about beyond his ability to endure on a number of occasions throughout the years in the wilderness.

We all have these same objections and then some when God calls us to an impossible task. Oh, by the way, did I mention that God has called each of us to an impossible task?

Let us be clear about the task He has given each of us.

We are to be His witnesses. Here are some places where Jesus explains what it means to be His disciples:

•    Salt

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. (Matthew 5:13 ESV)

•    Light

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

•    Disciple Making

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 28:19-20 ESV)

•    Witnessing

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8 ESV)

These are Jesus’ words to each one of us. A disciple is not a special class of believer. We are either a disciple of Jesus or we are not. To hear the voice of God, and then go back to watching the sheep, so to speak, is to reject God altogether. Moses was not the same after the “burning bush” experience. He never watched sheep again. Peter was not the same after the “Do you love me?” experience. He never fished again. Paul was not the same after the “Damascus road” experience. He never completed His mission to destroy the “Way.” And, no one can “accept Jesus as Savior” and remain the same.

We all have the same objections Moses had. For instance:

They will not accept my testimony. My family knows my weakness, my anger, my lies. I cannot be the one to tell them about Jesus. My friends know me too well. They will not believe what I tell them. It is an impossible task.

I am not eloquent. I do not know how to share the gospel. I will mess it up and confuse them. I am not a preacher and certainly cannot give three points about anything let alone speak on propitiation. It is an impossible task.

Let somebody else do it. First of all, it is too costly. I will lose my friends, my family, my job, my pension, my car, my house, my life ...  It is an impossible task.

Jesus said:

If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27 NLT)

The task is impossible, but it is not optional. Moses’ question, “Who am I?” is the question we all face. And, the answer God gave Moses is the answer Jesus gives us and it is the only answer we need.

God told Moses:

"But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:12 ESV)

“I will be with you” is the promise God gave Moses. This is also the promise Jesus gives us.

The task is not the same for everyone, because each individual has his or her own circumstances. However, the message is the same. God has come down to deliver us out of our slavery to sin and to bring us up to a land flowing with milk and honey.

A word of caution is appropriate here. This land flowing with milk and honey is not the same for us as it was for Moses. Jesus has promised us the resurrection and a place with Him in His kingdom, not a place in this age nor this world. In this world, He has promised us persecution, hardship and trouble. He has promised us that the world will hate us and at times those who kill us will think they are doing God a service. Remember, those closest to Jesus, the twelve, all died for their confession of Christ, except for John, who although he suffered greatly, still died of old age.

The reward comes later. For Moses, the reward would come after having led the people out of Egypt. God said:

...when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. (Exodus 3:12, ESV)

For Moses the reward was a nation, but it was also eternal. As Hebrews 11:16 tells us of the faith of our forefathers:

“...they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

Jesus said:

"Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28-29 ESV)