The Redemption of the Slaves

Transcription

1

2 Adult Quarterly SUNDAY SCHOOL WINTER QUARTER, The Redemption of the Slaves Studies in Exodus QUARTERLY AIM: The student will learn that God has provided redemption for all who are in bondage to Satan and sin. DECEMBER 2 The Need for Redemption Preparation for Redemption The Messenger of Redemption Redemption Contested Redeemed by the Blood JANUARY 6 Redemption Manifested The Redeemed Supplied Specific Laws for the Redeemed General Laws for the Redeemed FEBRUARY 3 God s Presence with the Redeemed The Redeemed Break the Covenant The Redeemed Give for God s House God in the Midst of the Redeemed ADULT QUARTERLY, Sunday School, Vol. 89, No. 1, issued December 1, 2001, is published quarterly at 95 cents per quarter. Prepared by David Robinson; Cover design by Jeff Allen; Bill Johnson, Editor in Chief; Wayne Sewell, Business Manager. Copyright 2001, BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE of the American Baptist Association, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX

3 American Baptist Association Through-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons Winter Spring Summer Fall 2001 Genesis 1 11 Job Genesis Matthew 1 13 Matthew Exodus Romans Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Hebrews 2003 Joshua Judges Ruth Acts 1 14 Acts Samuel 2 Samuel Chronicles Mark 2 Samuel Chronicles Kings 1, 2 James 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Psalms 2005 Galatians 1 Kings Chronicles Kings 1 13 Joel, Jonah, Obadiah, Nahum 1 Corinthians Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon 2006 Luke 1 13:21 Luke 13:22 24 Hosea, Amos Micah, Zephaniah 2 Kings Corinthians 2007 Isaiah Chronicles Kings Isaiah Philemon Philippians Colossians 2 Kings Chronicles Lamentations Habakkuk 2008 Ephesians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Jeremiah 2 Kings 24, 25 2 Chronicles 36 John John Daniel Ezekiel 1 Peter 2 Peter Jude Zechariah Ezra Haggai, Esther , 2, 3 John Nehemiah Malachi Revelation Revelation

4 1 The Need for Redemption Servitude Text: Exodus 1:1-22 Focus: Exodus 1:8-22 December 2, 2001 Key Verse: The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour. Exodus 1:13 Sunday Devotional: Born Sinners, Psalm 51:5-9. Aim: By the end of this lesson the student will have learned that as Moses people were born into slavery, so every person born into the world is a slave to sin. A FIRST LOOK Today we begin a study of the book of Exodus. Exodus means a going forth. This name is used because this book tells of the people of Israel s going forth out of Egypt and into the land of promise. The people of Israel had sojourned or stayed temporarily in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. This may sound like a long temporary stay, but the Israelites were never a part of Egypt. (Editor s note: for a full explanation of Israel s sojourn see Adult Lesson Commentary, page 56.) They maintained their own unique identity and were not assimilated into Egyptian society. This caused the Egyptians to turn against them. The Hebrews were always Hebrews. They were in Egypt, but they never had any desire to be Egyptians. The book of Exodus is extremely important to the Hebrew people and to Christians as well. This book not only tells of a liberation from Egypt, it also tells of an entrance into covenant relationship Daily Devotionals M. Joseph Sold into Slavery, Genesis 37: T. Joseph Imprisoned, Genesis 39: W. Jehoiachin Captured, 2 Kings 24:8-16. T. God Extended Mercy, Ezra 9:5-9. F. Captives of Ignorance, Isaiah 5: S. Slaves to the Law, Romans 7:

5 4 The Need for Redemption with God. This book tells of the giving of the Law, a document that makes the people of Israel different from other nations and identifies God as the ultimate source of their might. The book can be generally divided into two sections. The first section tells of the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians and their miraculous release from bondage. The second section tells of their journey through the wilderness and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. In these incidents the people of Israel progress from a family to a nation. When Joseph brought these people into Egypt, he was bringing his family. When Moses led the descendants of these people through the wilderness, they were made into a nation, a great nation, that has persisted to this day and has resisted all efforts of Satan to destroy it. We must also be aware that we are looking at things that are examples to believers in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 10:11 we read, Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. This verse is referring specifically to the events of the Exodus, so as we study, we are looking at metaphors that shape our character as Christians. What a wonderful study! A CLOSER LOOK Why would these people need redeeming? They had come to Egypt voluntarily and had enjoyed many years of blessing. They had endured the famine years and had prospered afterwards. But things had changed, and as we see in our lesson today, the Israelites went from being guests to being slaves. Interestingly, the things that we think of as a source of satisfaction can become a source of affliction. Our parents and friends can become our bitter enemies. There is no place this side of Heaven where we can expect permanent security. I. A New King Exodus 1:8 8. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

6 Text: Exodus 1: Joseph had brought Jacob and his family into Egypt and for many years they were treated as royal guests. Joseph was well-loved and favored by the Egyptians. Because of him, the Hebrews were allowed freedom and privilege in Egypt. But the pharaoh that held Joseph in high esteem had died, and a new king had come to power. This illustrated an important weakness in the governmental system of Egypt and indeed of most nations at that time. Egypt was a nation of men, not a nation of laws. Each ruler could do as he pleased. He could honor the commitments made by the former king, or he could disregard them and change things completely. In our lesson we see the effect this had on the Hebrews, but it could have an equally devastating effect on others as well. This king did not remember the wisdom of Joseph. He had no memory of the seven good years and the seven lean years. He knew nothing of the way God had blessed Egypt because of the presence of the Israelites. This king began with a blank page, and he wrote on it persecution of God s people. II. A New Fear Exodus 1:9, And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10. Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. The terrible treatment of God s people began with an irrational fear in the heart of a new king. First, he noticed that God had blessed the Hebrews. They had become more numerous than the Egyptians and had also become mightier. This probably refers to physical prosperity, not military might. The Hebrews had no need to develop an army. Not knowing that they had enemies, they were not prepared to defend themselves.

7 6 The Need for Redemption Then the new king decided to deal wisely with the people of Israel. This was the wisdom of the world, not the wisdom from God. The world often sees a threat from God s people where none exists. Pharaoh played a game of What if. This is a game where we always lose and never win. The king s idea was that the Hebrews would continue to multiply and that there would one day be a war, and the Hebrews would turn against the Egyptians and then leave Egypt. Note that there was never any hint of disloyalty in anything the Hebrews had done up to this point. They were not rebellious; in fact, the Hebrews were responsible for saving Egypt during the days of the famine. There was never any war where the Hebrews had to choose between Egypt and the enemies of Egypt; yet, because they might become a problem, Pharaoh decided that harsh measures were needed. The growth of the nation of Israel became grief to Egypt, and a devilish plan was hatched. It is often the case that when men persecute God s people, they imagine that they are being wise. We begin to see that the people of Israel would need to be redeemed and from whom they would need redemption. III. A New Status Exodus 1: Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. The Hebrew people were slaves to the Egyptians. They were forced from their lives as herdsmen in Goshen into slave labor in building cities for the Egyptians. They built

8 Text: Exodus 1: the treasure cities of Pithom and Raamses. Raamses would be the starting place of the Exodus, and so God was overseeing things. When these people were released, they took the treasure in Raamses with them. But Pharaoh s plan did not work. These people continued to increase. Their numbers were growing, and they had now gained new skills as builders. The Egyptians could not find any reason to simply make war on the Hebrews, so they sought to control them through slavery, but this did not work. As is often the case in worldly plans, when a plan does not work, the next step is to try harder. The Egyptians now afflicted the Hebrews and made them serve in great difficulty. They made them work hard, even in fieldwork on Egyptian farms. Remember the purpose of the Egyptians was not to build cities or to grow crops. They were intent on destroying God s people. Once the Hebrews were honored guests in Egypt, now they were field slaves. The need for redemption became all too obvious, but the worst was yet to come. IV. An Awful Plan Exodus 1: And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 18. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

9 8 The Need for Redemption 20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. 22. And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. Failing to stop the growth of the Hebrews, the king devised an awful plan. He decided to have the midwives kill the boy babies that were born to Hebrew women. This sounds awful to us, but many innocent babies are killed each year in our own country. We call it abortion instead of murder. Fortunately, these two women feared God and did not carry out this evil order. Whenever the laws of God and the laws of men collide, the laws of God must be obeyed. Pharaoh quickly saw that no babies were being killed, and he asked for an explanation. The midwives wisely replied that the Hebrew women were simply healthier than the Egyptian women; therefore, childbirth was not as difficult for them. The babies were born before the midwives were called for. Some have thought this to be a lie, but there was no indication that these women were not telling the truth. God was blessing His people, and they were multiplying under His will. No doubt the birth process was quicker for them. Because these midwives behaved wisely, God blessed them, and they had houses or families to help and support them. God was keeping His promise to Abraham to bless those who bless His people. God would shortly keep the promise to curse those who curse them. Then the order was expanded. Pharaoh ordered all people to throw any boy Hebrew baby into the river, but to save the female children alive. This must have been a repulsive law to the Egyptians, but it was the law of the land. We do not know how many heard that this law was in effect or how many little babies died because of it, but no doubt it was carried out to some degree. The Hebrew people were in an untenable situation. They must be redeemed out of Egypt, and God alone could help them.

10 Text: Exodus 1: A FINAL WORD This lesson offers us many parallels to our own society. The laws of Egypt grew gradually out of forgetfulness and irrational fear. Most bad laws do. There was no threat to Egypt from the Hebrews; nevertheless, God s people were persecuted. Many of the evil laws of our world are aimed at solving problems that do not even exist. We also see wisdom in the midst of chaos. Two midwives had more respect for human life and for the laws of God than they did for the law of the land. Having seen many babies born, they realized that birth was a precious moment and that an innocent little baby should not be killed just to satisfy the irrational fear of a king. They bravely stood up to the law and did what was right. These two women offer us a model of conduct in a troubling situation. Peter expressed this best in Acts 5:29. When ordered not to preach in the name of Jesus, Peter said, We ought to obey God rather than men. But in spite of all this, we see a current in the lives of the Hebrews that could not be controlled by anything the Egyptians did. God was in control of these people, and He was blessing them. Nothing the Egyptians did could restrain the Hebrews. They continued to multiply, and they would eventually be free from Egypt because they served a God who is real, who is alive, and who is committed to helping His people. The Hebrews had become slaves in Egypt, and this pictures for us that we have become slaves to sin. Generations were born into slavery. Moses was born as a slave and was cast into the river but did not perish because of it. These things were for our examples. An important example is that we are sinners, born into sin, and we are helpless to save ourselves. We need the redeeming grace of Jesus to set us free, and without it we will ever be bound with the chains of sin and deceit.

11 2 Preparation for Redemption Birth of Moses Text: Exodus 2:1-25 Focus: Exodus 2:1-15 December 9, 2001 Key Verse: And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. Exodus 2:2 Sunday Devotional: Sign of the Redeemer, Isaiah 7: Aim: By the end of this lesson the student will have learned that as God s covenant with Abraham assured redemption for Israel, so God s covenants offer redemption for all Adam s race. A FIRST LOOK As God prepared to redeem His people, He began to do so by preparing a man. God could have set these people free in any number of ways. Nothing is impossible for God, but then as now, God chose to do His work through men. Moses would become an important leader. He would lead the people of Israel to freedom and would lay the foundation for the family of Israel becoming the nation of Israel. We shall see as our study progresses that Moses was what he was because of the choices he made. In many ways our lesson is about choice. Moses parents made a choice; Pharaoh s daughter made a choice, and Moses made a choice. When men choose to do right and obey God, God in turn chooses them and gives them a part in His plan. We always have a choice. Circumstances may be ter- Daily Devotionals M. Birth of John the Baptist, Luke 1: T. Place of Jesus Birth, Micah 5:1, 2. W. Birth of Jesus, Luke 2:1-14. T. Born To Rule, Isaiah 9:6, 7. F. Herod s Murderous Decree, Matthew 2: S. Satan s Final Attack, Revelation 12:

12 Text: Exodus 2: rible, as they were for Moses parents. The choices may be difficult, as they were for Moses, but we have the power to choose. No one has to do evil. These people made the right choice in spite of an awful choice that Pharaoh had made. Pharaoh chose to persecute God s people and to kill little boy babies. Interestingly, this is not the only time in the Bible where babies were systematically murdered by the government. In a failed attempt to kill Jesus, Herod the Great ordered the murder of the boy children in Bethlehem two years old and under. In both cases the rulers sought to reverse the will and action of God by intervening. In both cases their evil plan failed. We can only wonder at the depravity in the hearts of the men who devised such schemes to take the innocent lives of babies. But before we do, perhaps we should look in the mirror at what is going on in our own society today. A CLOSER LOOK I. Moses Birth Exodus 2: And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river s brink. 4. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. Moses had an older brother, Aaron, and an older sister, Miriam. We learn in Exodus 6:20 that his parents names were Amram, his father, and Jochebed, his mother. Perhaps

13 12 Preparation for Redemption Aaron was born before the law went into effect that required throwing boy babies into the river. We do know that the evil law did not prevent the Hebrew people from having children. The circumstances were certainly inconvenient for the birth of a baby. Why have a baby when under the law there was a fifty-fifty chance that it would be killed? This did not concern Amram and Jochebed. They did their best to care for their little baby, and they trusted God to help them. Moses, although that was not his name at the time, was a healthy baby. His mother hid him for three months, but she realized that the time would come when she could not conceal her little boy from the authorities. The law permitted any Egyptian to throw any Hebrew baby boy into the Nile River. Knowing this, Jochebed took the baby and put him in a basket or ark made of bulrushes and waterproofed with pitch and slime. She then placed him in the river near the place where Pharaoh s daughter came to wash. Perhaps she was hoping that Pharaoh s daughter could not bring herself to drown such a healthy and beautiful baby. She was right. Jochebed told Miriam to watch and see what would happen. Contrary to some stories, Jochebed did not set Moses adrift in the water, leaving him to float around on the river. She put him in the flags or reeds that grew at the water s edge. This mother was doing the best she could in a terrible situation. Her little baby might not survive, but she gave him every chance she could. God requires no more from any of us. In Hebrews 11:23 we read that this was an act of faith on her part. By faith she chose not to fear the command of Pharaoh. II. Moses and Pharaoh s Daughter Exodus 2: And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

14 Text: Exodus 2: And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said,this is one of the Hebrews children. 7. Then said his sister to Pharaoh s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 8. And Pharaoh s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child s mother. 9. And Pharaoh s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.and the woman took the child, and nursed it. 10. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. Moses was discovered when Pharaoh s daughter came down to the river to bathe. Her servants found the ark, and, when they had opened it, they discovered the baby. We do not know how long Moses was actually in the ark, but, when the ark was opened, he started crying. Pharaoh s daughter saw that this was a strong healthy baby, and her heart was moved. She knew that the baby was supposed to be killed, but she was not inclined to kill him. No doubt because of his circumcision, she recognized the baby as belonging to the Hebrews. She had compassion for the Hebrew boy, but she did not know what to do next. Miriam, who was watching all this, then put in a good word. Miriam s short suggestion saved the baby s life and gave the nation of Israel a deliverer. Instead of suggesting that the Hebrew baby be thrown in the river, as was the letter of the law, Miriam asked Pharaoh s daughter if she would like her to get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Then Pharaoh s daughter said a remarkable thing. She simply said, Go. Miriam hurried to get her mother to come and nurse the baby. Here we see a wonderful interplay between the will of God and the wisdom of men. God was not willing that any little baby be killed, and these women, Jochebed and Miriam, had used their wisdom to see that Moses life was spared.

15 14 Preparation for Redemption Miriam brought Jochebed to Pharaoh s daughter, and Pharaoh s daughter told her to take the baby and nurse him. She even offered to pay Jochebed for taking care of her own baby! When we do what is right, God can add things to us we never expected. No doubt Jochebed and Miriam would have been delighted just to save the life of the baby. They had accomplished this and as a bonus, they would be paid to take care of him. We are left to wonder how many other ingenious schemes the Hebrews devised to save their boy babies from death. We do know that many babies were killed, but not all of them. The Hebrews were a strong people and a mighty people in spite of the evil laws of Pharaoh. Pharaoh s daughter adopted him and named him Moses which means taken from the water. Moses was then raised with all the privileges and education of an Egyptian prince. He would renounce the privileges, but he would use the education to become a great leader. III. Moses Choice To Be Hebrew Exodus 2: And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong,wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 14. And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

16 Text: Exodus 2: During the early years of his life, Moses parents instilled in him the truth about the Hebrews. Moses knew he was Hebrew, and Pharaoh s daughter knew he was Hebrew. He might have acted like an Egyptian in some ways, but he had enough knowledge of Hebrew culture to make a choice. We read of Moses choice in Hebrews 11:24. When Moses was approaching adulthood, he had the choice of being called the son of Pharaoh s daughter. He refused. This refusal was not the result of his murder of the Egyptian; instead, it was a deliberate and willful choice made in faith by a young man who understood both the riches of Egypt and the will of God. Moses knew that he was giving up the plush life-style of the palace and was choosing to align himself with a people who were hated slaves, but he made the choice nonetheless. His choice was based on eternity and not on time. Moses knew that the wealth of the world could not be compared with the rewards that are available in Christ. We must never forget that we are eternal creatures. There is life after death, and we must live and choose with that in mind. Moses choice did not keep him from rash action. He had grown into manhood, and one day he looked out on the burdens of the people he had chosen. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew whom he counted as one of his brethren. After looking around to see if anyone was watching, he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand. This impetuous act would shape the next forty years of Moses life. Moses went out the next day and encountered two Hebrews fighting each other. Moses challenged the one that was wrong about why he was beating his brother. The Hebrew man s reply revealed that he knew about Moses murder of the Egyptian. The slave that Moses rescued the day before had told the Hebrews about the Egyptian prince who had killed another Egyptian to stop a beating. Now Moses had a problem. It was obvious from his words that the Hebrews did not consider Moses a Hebrew. And now that his deeds were known, the Egyptians would consider him a murderer.

17 16 Preparation for Redemption Moses had only one choice left, and that was to get out of the country. He fled for his life and took refuge in the land of Midian in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. He was a fugitive under a death penalty in Egypt. Things did not look good for Moses or for the Hebrews, but God had a definite plan, and His will was going to be done. A FINAL WORD Just because we have the power to choose does not mean that all our choices will be right ones. Moses made a great and wonderful, even a monumental, choice when he chose to identify himself with the Hebrews instead of the Egyptians. But he made an awful choice when he killed the Egyptian. God does not condone murder. This was an act of rage, and Moses served a forty year sentence for it. What could Moses do now? Hebrews 11:27 tells us that he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Moses could not take back what he had done. He could not go back and live among his people. He had to wait until God revealed His plan to him. In short, he had to endure. God works in our lives. Sometimes we add our wisdom to God s working like Jochebed and Miriam, and things can work out in wonderful ways we never expected. Sometimes we add our wrath to good choices, like Moses, and things can take a turn we never expected. Moses thought of his choices as being an Egyptian prince or a Hebrew slave. He never thought about being a Midianite shepherd; yet, there he was. Moses had to endure and wait for God to show him what was next. Sometimes this is all we can do, and we must learn to do it like Moses in faith. We have to turn our eyes away from the past and look at Him who is invisible. These are things we do not see physically; we see them spiritually through eyes of faith.

18 3 The Messenger of Redemption Moses Called and Sent Text: Exodus 3:1 4:31 Focus: Exodus 3:1-15 December 16, 2001 Key Verse: Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14 Sunday Devotional: A Volunteer Servant, Isaiah 6:6-8. Aim: By the end of this lesson the student will have learned that as Moses was sent to lead Israel from Egyptian slavery, so God sent Jesus to provide freedom from sin to all who repent and believe. A FIRST LOOK The verses of our Text for today s lesson record a remarkable event. Moses life had taken on a dramatic difference since he had identified himself with the people of Israel and killed the Egyptian. He had fled from his life as an Egyptian prince and had taken on the occupation of a shepherd. He had married a lady named Zipporah, who was the daughter of Jethro. He had two sons and worked tending his father-inlaw s sheep. Moses was now approaching his eightieth birthday. Since he had left Egypt, things had gotten progressively worse for the people of Israel. The Egyptians had made life as unbearable as possible for the Hebrews, and the Hebrew people were constantly in prayer to God for Him to relieve them of this terrible situation. Meanwhile, Moses was tending sheep on the backside of the desert near Horeb or Mount Sinai. These two names are used Daily Devotionals M. Jeremiah s Call, Jeremiah 1:1-9. T. Ezekiel Sent, Ezekiel 2:1-8. W. Fishermen Called, Matthew 4: T. A Chosen Vessel, Acts 9: F. Peter Sent to Cornelius, Acts 10:1-22. S. Beautiful Feet, Isaiah 52:

19 18 The Messenger of Redemption to describe the same place. It was here that Moses would later come to worship God and to receive the Law from the hand of God. We might think that an eighty-year-old man had his good years behind him and that younger men needed to carry on the work of God, but Moses was just beginning the work that would define his life and ministry. If God had not called Moses and if Moses had not heeded this call, we might have never heard of him at all. It was for the last forty years that he lived that Moses is best known, and that part of his life began at God s call. Moses was known as the man who spoke to God face-toface (Deut. 34:10). Notice how God called Moses, commissioned Moses and empowered Moses for the work He had for Moses to do. We will not experience the same things Moses did because we have the Bible as our completed revelation of God, but God wants all of His children to begin and sustain a relationship of dedicated service to Him. A CLOSER LOOK I. Moses and the Burning Bush Exodus 3: Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.And he said, Here am I.

20 Text: Exodus 3:1 4: And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Moses was going about the mundane business of tending sheep. This was vastly different from being a prince in Egypt, but it was honorable work, and he was safe, secure and, we suppose, happy in doing it. God s intention was for Moses to guide the Hebrews through the same desert where Moses had spent one-third of his life. When we surrender to the Lord, nothing is wasted. God used Moses years as a shepherd to show him the ways of the wilderness. The Sinai desert is mostly a high, dry plateau. It has some vegetation and could support a flock of sheep, but they would have to wander frequently to find food and water. In his wandering, Moses had come to the mountain called Mount Horeb at the southern tip of this desert. As he approached, he noticed a wonderful sight; he saw a flame in the middle of a bush. He could have dismissed this as some natural event, but as he watched, he noticed that the bush was burning but was not consumed. This was not some naturally occurring phenomenon, it was caused by the angel of the Lord. Moses then made the first in a series of important decisions. He decided to turn aside and see what was going on. God had aroused his curiosity, and his curiosity would lead him to hear the voice of God. He could easily have just wandered on. After all, he had sheep to tend he was a busy man. He could not take time to look at a burning bush. Fortunately, this all too common attitude was not in the heart of Moses. We have to wonder what we miss because we are too busy to turn aside and stop for a moment to see what God has in store for us. When God saw that Moses turned aside, God called out to him from the middle of the bush. God called him by his name, Moses. Moses answered God. Moses was not afraid of what was happening. He wanted to see what was going on, and, when he heard his name, he responded calmly and logically.

21 20 The Messenger of Redemption Then God began to reveal what was really happening. God told Moses to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. The only thing holy about this ground was that God was there. Otherwise, it was just another place on earth. Holy places are the places where God meets His people, wherever they happen to be at any particular time. God then made the real reason for the meeting clear. God identified Himself. When He did this, Moses hid his face. He knew who God was and he was afraid to look directly at Him. II. God s Message to Moses Exodus 3: And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. God laid out a reasonable and logical explanation for the events that were happening. First, God said that He had seen the affliction of the Hebrews. Moses had seen it, and God had seen it, too. Then God said that He had heard the prayers of the Hebrew people. God heard the prayers of His people, even though He was sometimes long-suffering in answering them. God then told Moses that He was going to deliver the Hebrews out of the hand of the Egyptians. But not only would they be delivered, they would be taken to a specific place. No doubt Moses knew about the land of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. At this time Canaan was ruled by powerful city-states that had for hun-

22 Text: Exodus 3:1 4:31 21 dreds of years resisted all attempts to conquer them. It is reasonable to assume that these were the people that Pharaoh feared when he imagined an attack where the Hebrews would side with the enemies of Egypt. This was a great promise. God would not only deliver the Hebrews, but He would give them the land of some of the most powerful people in the world. This was the plan of God, and He could have accomplished it in many different ways. But then God told Moses that he had been chosen as the human instrument to bring about this deliverance. God was going to send Moses to Pharaoh, and Moses would bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. God had a plan, and God had a man. This is the way God has chosen to do His work down through the ages. He uses human beings to accomplish His will. He empowers men to do things that further His purposes. He chooses men according to His own counsel and then gives them a job to do. It is important that we recognize the sovereignty of God in these matters. God chooses whom He will. He does not explain to us why He chooses one and does not choose another. Moses may have seemed like an unlikely candidate for deliverer. He was an exiled murderer. He had worked as a shepherd for many years. We might not have chosen him, but God did, and that was all that mattered. III. Moses Questions Exodus 3: And Moses said unto God,Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me,what is his name? what shall I say unto them?

23 22 The Messenger of Redemption 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15. And God said moreover unto Moses,Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Moses asked God three questions about the things God had told him. He did not question God s plan or God s ability to carry it out. All these questions had to do with the part God wanted Moses to play in the plan. First, Moses asked God, Who am I? Perhaps we should read this, Why did you choose me? I believe he was asking, Why me, and how am I ever going to do this? Moses was not doubting God, he was doubting himself. Before we can serve God, we have to know who we are, and we have to have a firm assurance that God has really and truly called us for our life s work. This is what Peter means when he said in 2 Peter 1:10, Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. God graciously answered Moses that He would be with him. As a token of His presence, God would lead Moses and the people back to the mountain, and they would serve God on that same mountain. Full assurance comes after service. In order to understand the token that God had promised, Moses had to first do what God had asked. If Moses had never gone into Egypt, there would have been no meeting on the mountain. Then Moses asked for direction. He saw himself going back to the Hebrews and telling them that God had sent him to deliver them. But he said that the Hebrews would ask him for the name or authority of the person who sent him. This second question was really a question Moses was asking on behalf of the Israelites, but it was an accurate response. We need to know something of the authority that others have when they seek to make drastic changes in our lives.

24 Text: Exodus 3:1 4:31 23 The third question was simply, What shall I say? It showed the great humility of Moses because he did not assume that something would momentarily come to him when he arrived in Egypt. He needed to get things straight before he ever attempted to do what God had asked. This was a matter of having authority and power to do the work of God, and God did not rebuke Moses for asking these questions. Instead, God gave Moses the simple and direct and most reasonable answer possible. The people of Israel needed a redeemer. They had prayed for deliverance. And the I AM THAT I AM or literally the One who is, had sent Moses. God was expressing His eternal, unchanging nature to Moses and through Moses to the Hebrews. When John identified Christ in Revelation, he wrote, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8). Moses was to tell the people of Israel that the eternal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had sent him and that he spoke by the power and authority of God, like the fathers of these people spoke by that same power. A FINAL WORD Moses commission was now complete. He had an overview of his work for the rest of his life. God would fill in the details day by day, but Moses had received direction and meaning for his commission. He had a task to accomplish, and he had the authority from God to do it. God is still sovereign over this world. When we obey His will, God reigns, but, when we disobey and go our own way, God still reigns. He chooses whom He will choose, and He gives His authority to those He chooses to do His work and will on earth. May we learn to listen to the Spirit of God and to yield ourselves to the tasks He has for us, for only then will we find the way we can be a blessing to others and accomplish God s will for our own lives.

25 4 Redemption Contested Satan s Controversy with God Text: Exodus 5:1 10:29 Focus: Exodus 7:1-13 December 23, 2001 Key Verse: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go,... And Pharaoh said,...i know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. Exodus 5:1, 2 Sunday Devotional: The Battle Is the Lord s, 2 Chronicles 20: Aim: By the end of this lesson the student will have learned that the controversy between Satan and God continues, but God is always victorious. A FIRST LOOK God had called Moses to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt. The outcome was certain, and victory was secure because God never fails. But that does not mean that there was not a great struggle yet to come. The contest that God and Moses waged against Satan and Pharaoh would proceed, and there would be terrible suffering in Egypt before God s will was accomplished and His people were freed. This was not because it was difficult for God to free His people or because Pharaoh was so strong that it was difficult to subdue him. These things were for our examples. They were to teach us about the resistance Satan always presents to the plans of God and the fact that God is always ultimately victorious. It is interesting to note that when Moses first made his demand for Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go that the response of Pharaoh was to increase the burdens of the Israelites. Pharaoh reasoned that if they had time to want to go Daily Devotionals M. The Heavenly Captain, Joshua 5: T. Jesus and Satan, Matthew 4:1-11. W. Mighty Weapons, 2 Corinthians 10:1-6. T. The Armor of God, Ephesians 6: F. The Good Fight, 1 Timothy 6: S. The Battle Is Over, 2 Timothy 4:

26 Text: Exodus 5:1 10:29 25 into the desert to worship, they needed more work to do. This caused the Israelites to resent the efforts of Moses. Sometimes the work of God is opposed by Satan and by the people of God as well, but the faithful servant will continue to follow the Word and will of God. Moses did, and his resolve and faithfulness helped to bring these people out of bondage and into the will of God. A CLOSER LOOK I. God Instructs Moses. Exodus 7:1, 2 1. And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. At this time Moses had made his appeal to Pharaoh and had been rejected. Pharaoh had increased the burdens of the Hebrews, and it looked like Moses mission had failed. The Egyptians did not want to let the people go, and the people were resentful of Moses efforts to free them. We must remember that these people had been in Egypt for four hundred years. The men and women that Moses was delivering were perhaps fourth and fifth generation slaves. They knew no other way of life, and no matter how uncomfortable they were, they knew that things could get worse. In the midst of this difficult situation, God gave Moses some instructions and a promise. In times of trouble we would do well to renew our commitment to the simple truth of God s message. God was still in charge. He was going to elevate Moses in the eyes of Pharaoh so that Moses would be like one of the Egyptian gods, and Aaron would be his prophet. This was a statement of the control and power that God had in the affairs of men. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18,

27 26 Redemption Contested All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. There is nothing God cannot accomplish. Before this situation was resolved, Moses would go from failure in the eyes of Pharaoh to the same status Pharaoh gave to the gods he worshiped. Then God reaffirmed the things Moses was to do. He was to speak the things that God had commanded him to say. Remember that Moses was not a great public speaker. Aaron did the talking, and Moses provided the message. The message of Moses did not change. All through his contest with Pharaoh he made the same demand, Let my people go. We must never change our message in the face of difficulty. God has given us our work to do, and we must be faithful to it, especially when it seems like things are not going our way. Moses was not to change his request because Pharaoh had denied it or because the Israelites did not want to hear it. His message was from God. It was not Moses idea to redeem Israel, and it was not Israel s idea to be redeemed. This was a part of the plan and will of God, and it could not be changed to accommodate circumstances. II. God Tells Moses What To Expect. Exodus 7: And I will harden Pharaoh s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. 7. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. God wanted Moses to know what to expect as he did battle with Pharaoh. Moses would make demands, but Pharaoh would not listen. God would work great miracles that would

28 Text: Exodus 5:1 10:29 27 convince any ordinary man of the power and greatness of God, but Pharaoh would remain unconvinced. At first, Pharaoh would harden his heart, but God would then harden Pharaoh s heart further so that in the end there would be no doubt about who was in charge in the affairs of men. God did not treat Pharaoh and the Egyptians unfairly. Moses had gone to Pharaoh and clearly presented the word of God. Pharaoh had summarily rejected it. He had hardened his own heart to the message of God, and God was not being unfair to proceed to harden Pharaoh s heart. There are laws at work in our world that no one questions. When you walk off a high place, you fall. When you touch a hot surface, you get burned; yet, we seem to have a difficult time seeing that these same kinds of laws work in the spiritual world. We cannot sin with impunity. If we hear the truth and reject the truth, we will pay a spiritual price. Solomon asked in Proverbs 6:27, Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? The obvious answer is no. And neither can we ignore the spiritual laws of God and not come under the wrath of God. Always remember that Pharaoh had the option of listening to Moses at the beginning and yielding to the will of God. He chose to ignore the messenger of God. At that point, God determined to show Egypt and the whole world that He was sovereign in the affairs of men. Note, too, that Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when this contest began. They were not young men but the hand of God was upon them, and the best work of their lives was still ahead of them. Age is not as important to God as it is to men. God can use us no matter where we are in the course of our lives. III. God Gives Moses Miracles. Exodus 7: And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

29 28 Redemption Contested 9. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. God realized that Pharaoh would demand a miracle. Faith never asks for a reason to believe, but doubt demands proof. So that Pharaoh could know His power, God gave Moses the ability to work miracles. These were not parlor tricks or sleight of hand that could be performed by a skilled trickster. These were genuine suspensions of the ordinary laws of the universe that were used to prove and assert the word and message of God. The first was as great and mysterious as the last. None of them can be explained away or duplicated by ordinary means. Aaron began by throwing his rod down. When he did, it became a serpent. But as we shall see the magicians duplicated the miracles and so withstood Moses. The magicians duplicated the miracles of Moses all the way through the plague of frogs. But when Moses made lice come up out of the dust and infest the whole land, the magicians could not and then admitted that this was the finger of God. The magicians were convinced, but Pharaoh was not. He hardened his heart and would not listen to the message of Moses. We learn that Satan is not without power. He can do things and the things he does are impressive. There is no suggestion that the miracles of the Egyptian magicians were not real, as real as those of Moses. But there was an end to them. There was a line these satanic magicians could not cross, where only the power of God could go. Moses had the authority from God to do things that Satan could not duplicate. Learn that the miraculous will not convince us to believe against our will. If we find it in our hearts to reject the witness that we have been given, we will be able to resist even the most convincing of miracles. Abraham spoke from