Series: Exodus Title: Moses Unbelief Text: Exodus 2: 11-15 Date: November 13, 2016 Place: SGBC, New Jersey Exodus 2: 11: 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. Hebrews 11 declares this was all done in faith. By faith, by God s grace, by God s power, Moses made deliberate, great, self-sacrificing choices to follow Christ his Surety. Hebrews 11: 24: By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter; 25: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26: Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. As God describes Moses faith, he describes Moses under the new covenant of grace in the perfection of Christ. But there is no mention of sin under the new covenant because through faith, with Christ dwelling in us and us in Christ, the believer is given the good news that in Christ we have no sin but are perfectly holy and righteous in Christ. Hebrews 8: 12: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Jeremiah 50:20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve. May God make you who have never believed on Christ to do so today. Roman 4: 24 to whom [the righteousness of Christ] shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
But also in Exodus 2, we see sin mixed with Moses faith. In the Old Testament, we see Moses sin because the old testament is the covenant of works. The law reveals sin. Here we see sin mixed with Moses faith. Last, time we looked at this passage and compared it with Heb 11 to see Moses Faith. Today we our Subject: Moses Unbelief Does it seem odd that where we saw Moses faith, we also see Moses Unbelief? It should not seem odd because in each believer there is a new man born of Christ by incorruptible seed and an old man born of Adam by corrupt seed. The new man is created by Christ righteous and holy; the old man is created by Adam unrighteous and unholy. Therefore, where you find the sinless man created of God walking by faith and love; you also find the sins of our old fleshly man mixed with those works. This is why true, God-given faith looks away from self, only to Christ for both righteousness and holiness. Paul said, Who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. Proposition: As we see Moses s unbelief, we are reminded that before God uses his servant to deliver his people, God will first prepare his servant in the school of suffering. A BELIEVER Exodus 2: 11: And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: At this time, God had given Moses faith to believe God s word that God would use him to deliver Israel out of Egypt. By faith, God gave Moses a heart willing to suffer affliction with is brethren: a heart which broke to see his brethren in slavery and God gave him a heart to be their servant. When God reveals Christ to his servant, God teaches his servant: Philippians 2: 5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Christ willingly did all these things that God might have all the glory in the salvation of his people that all God s elect might be delivered from the slavery of sin, death and hell. If any believer especially God s preacher will be used of God, we must first be given this heart toward God for God s people. But we are slow to learn and quick to make mistakes. But God teaches us most through suffering. As we saw earlier, Christ suffered and he will have his child to suffer. MOSES UNBELIEF
Exodus 2: 11: [Moses] 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. In what Moses did next, we see Moses unbelief. We see a few things Moses needed to be taught. These are things which God s saints are continually being taught by God. We read why Moses smote the Egyptian, Acts 7: 25: For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. In the beginning, how did Moses faith come? How did God make him believe the gospel that God was sending a chosen Seed in whom all God s people in every nation would be blessed? How did he believe he was the man God would use to deliver Israel? It was by God giving him faith. Yet, when he spied an Egyptian smiting his brethren he resorted to fleshly sight he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man In the beginning, Moses was given faith by God sending someone who merely spoke the gospel to him. Yet, here is Moses using the strength of his own hand he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. In the beginning, Moses believed God only by the power of God s divine revelation teaching him in his heart. Yet, here is Moses doing this because he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them. Supposition is not faith. Everywhere you find someone supposing in scripture you find errors being committed. Moses supposed the time had come but it would be forty more years before God would have Moses prepared to deliver them and before Gould have Israel prepared to be delivered. Let s learn from Moses in light of Christ: Christ Jesus not only esteemed his people better than himself, he not only looked upon the things of other he did nothing through strife or vain glory; he made himself of no reputation he was obedient to the Father unto the death of the cross! When we first realize, in truth, that God may use us in some way, like Moses, we often begin to suppose what we are to do and we suppose how God s people will view us but that is not the faith of Christ. Christ Jesus had every right to be viewed by his people as our Deliverer! he is God, equal with God! Yet, Christ did not come forth smiting our enemies with his fist, making a reputation for himself, causing us to follow him for such a reason. Christ made himself no reputation : born of a poor virgin, raised like any other child, a tender root out of a dry ground, despised and rejected of men, riding into Jerusalem on a lowly asses colt, suffering a cruel, bloody cross. In all this he did what our sinful flesh hates most. He appeared to men as nobody. The Lord Jesus did not rise up in pride and strife and smite with the fist of wickedness. Christ did nothing
through strife or vain glory. He suffered in silence. As a lamb before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth. Christ took upon him the form of a servant the servant of God, the servant of his people as the legal, covenant head of his people, he believed perfectly the promise of the Father and obeyed perfectly for us. He trusted God his Father to give him the words to speak and he spoke only that which the Father gave him to speak. Our Substitute trusted God his Father to draw his people to him in faith. He trusted God his Father to judge righteously between himself and his enemies. In all this, he was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Brethren, by his faith, Christ purged our sins and reconciled his people. When he sanctifies us in the new birth, he teaches us he is our righteousness and that we live in holiness by his faithfulness dwelling in us. He teaches us to serve him by trusting him as he trusted the Father. Notice the last three words of this verse, Learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Heb 5: 8-9) Vain religion speaks much of self-denial, of taking up your cross and following Christ. But to do so, is not to make ourselves a reputation as vain religion teaches. It is not to strive as sinful flesh strives. True self-denial is to obey God by believing on Christ for All apart from our works! It is to speak Christ s word giving him all glory in salvation rather than our own. Self-denial is to commit all to Christ, waiting on Christ to work in his people rather than usurping his authority with our own oppressive whip. It is to depend on Christ s strength to suffer the persecution of men for the sake of Christ and his gospel rather than reviled again. Only Christ can make his child do these things because it is totally opposite to our sinful flesh! GOD S CHASTENING God chastened Moses. The next day God used his brethren to rebuke and reject him. God used Pharaoh to move Moses from Egypt to Midian. By failing this test, by suffering rejection of his brethren, God is humbling Moses, teaching him and us that true meekness is not being a push-over before men; it is believing, obeying and waiting on God to work. Moses came to his brethren a mighty man supposing he would smite the Egyptian and his brethren we understand he was their deliverer but he went out by faith a chastened man and sat down by a well in the wilderness. When we run before we are sent when we look to the strength of our hand rather than God s hand God chastens his child and sits us down at Christ s feet to learn of him. See that ye refuse not him that speaks from heaven s Mt Zion. (Heb 12) Moses supposed now was the time to deliver Israel. But God sent him to dwell 40 more years in the backside of the desert tending sheep. God makes his child have no reputation and to desire none, as he prepares him to shepherd his elect sheep.
So when God s time came 40 years later, God told Moses it is time to deliver my people. But Moses attitude was totally different. Exodus 3: 11: 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? Exodus 4: 10: And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 13: And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. Before, Moses supposed they would know God would deliver them by his hand. Now, God taught Moses what we must be taught. It was not by Moses hand but by Moses mouth speaking God s word and by God blessing that word that God delivered Israel. Exodus 3: 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. Then God taught Moses the gospel he was to declare to his brethren. Then notice what God said to Moses. Exodus 3: 19: And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20: And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 21: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: Exodus 4:12: Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. God delivers his people out of the bondage of sin, not by the strength of a man s hand, but by God s hand. He makes his servant believe Christ by experience the power of Christ through the gospel. Then, knowing how Christ irresistibly, effectually works through the preaching of the gospel, his servant will preach the gospel and wait on the Spirit of God to work in his people. Moses and all God s witnesses must be taught what Zerubabbel was taught, Zecchariah 4:6: Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7: Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Amen!