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Good morning friends,
Today is Wednesday July 3, the eve of our nations birthday, and we’re reading together Exodus 4.
Let’s take a minute and go to Philadelphia, 243 years ago today. Let’s just stand around the periphery of the gathering of men contemplating, whether or not to sign a parchment which lays on a table in that room. Several of these men had spent agonizing days, trying to come up with just the right words, to convince the world, what they believed so strongly. They were willing to put their lives, the lives of their wives and children, and all their earthly possessions…on the line, for gaining freedom and birthing a new nation. “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary. . .”
Now think back…when have you found yourself in times of such monumental decision making, with everything, including your life, on the line?
What if those men had crumbled under the weight of the implications of signing the Declaration of Independence? What if they had torn it up or burned it and each walked back to their families saying…’I couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t risk it all.’ Who would you and I be today? What would this place we know as the USA, be today?
In Exodus 4, we find ourselves with Moses in almost an identical situation. He is at a burning bush, which is not being consumed, with his sandals off and his heart pounding. A voice is coming out of the fire… not just any voice.
This Voice has introduced itself as “I am the God of your father Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” (Ex. 3:6)
This Voice has said “I have seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard their crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned. So I have come down to rescue them…” (Ex. 3:7,8)
Moses, after recovering somewhat from the shock of this encounter, has actually engaged the Voice in conversation, rather than running away in panic. When Moses asked what this Voice’s name is, it replied. “I AM WHO I AM”. (Ex. 3:14) It means “I am THE unlimited, eternal, all powerful, all knowing, every-where present, Majestic and Holy God.”
The Voice had said “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. I will be with you.” (Ex. 3:10,12)
Like the men in Philadelphia, 243 years ago, Moses’ entire life, past, present and future, and that of his family, was hanging in the balance as he looked at a burning bush and contemplated what the Voice had said.
But unlike a room full of courageous men in Philadelphia…Moses stood alone, on a hillside, in the desert, far from Egypt and many years removed from the palace.
Exodus chapter 4 is Moses’ best effort at convincing God this was a bad idea. Why should those slaves listen to Moses? It had been 40 years since he left, and he had been thought to be the Pharaoh’s grandson. But the rumor was, that he was actually a Hebrew baby, found in a basket in the Nile, and raised in the palace as Egyptian royalty. So…What was the truth about him?
Notice in these verses how God doesn’t try to convince Moses that he is capable, or worthy, or had earned the right to confront Pharaoh. Nor does God disagree with Moses’ several good reasons why he thinks he is not qualified for this job. Do you see what God does…over and over?
God tries to show Moses who HE, Almighty God, is... and that it will be HE who delivers the slaves, HE who will challenge the Pharaoh and his resources and power. Moses’ only role in this, is a spokesman. . .but Moses keeps making excuses. Why?
We do the same, don’t we? We keep making it all about us, when it’s always all about God!
We try to live our lives according to our plans, to fulfill our ambitions, to achieve our goals. It began when we were children, and we’ve all been encouraged to pursue our dreams…this is America, the land where dreams can become reality, right?
But friends, Dawn and I learned some important secrets to life several years ago… the secrets God is trying to teach Moses at the burning bush:
1. God created each of us, we didn’t create ourselves.
2. God has a global purpose that He is trying to accomplish through all generations with all people. Listen to Psalm 33:11 “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”
3. God would like to include you and me in His global purposes, IF we would be willing to lay aside our personal agenda. If we will let Him lead us, He will over time, show us His unique strategic plan for integrating us, each of us, into His global purpose. Now think about that statement friends.
Dawn and I have discovered, as maybe some of you have, and as Moses did, this is the most amazing way to live the adventure of life to the fullest. Remember Jesus said “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and have it to the fullest.” (John 10:10)
Old Moses, at age 80, with a flock of smelly sheep around him, looks out over the desert terrain from that hillside, as the bush keeps burning, and I’m confident he is thinking… either he’s lost his mind in the desert heat, or he’s having a vision that will surely soon end and he can get back to his meaningless existence.
Or maybe, just maybe… it’s really happening. The God who made him and spared his life in that basket, and allowed him to grow up in the palace, is there, talking with him, and inviting him into a strategic plan for delivering 1 million Hebrew slaves!
I wonder if at any point Moses started to think… ‘now I understand why I grew up in the palace! I know that palace, and I’m sure they remember me. I have some old friends there, maybe they’re influential now. And the Pharaoh now…I know him pretty well. We grew up together. . .”
NO!
Exodus chapter 4 is about Moses understanding that this strategic plan is God’s plan, and it will be accomplished by God’s power, and Moses’ role? Simply obedience to God, every step of the way, all the time!
Do you see that… when his shepherd’s staff becomes a snake and then God tells Moses to pick the snake up with his bare hands!? Oh my! What would you have done?
Do you see it… when Moses took his hand out of his cloak and it was covered with leprosy, and then he had to trust God, by putting his hand back inside his clothes touching his chest!
Do you see it… when the Voice says “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” (vs. 11,12)
Do you see something else in vs. 14? God’s angry response to Moses’ relentless excuses. Does God get angry?
Yes my friends, we see it repeatedly in history, when wickedness is consuming that which God made wonderful, as in the days of Noah… God gets angry!
Or when God’s people turn away from trusting God, and either trust themselves, or things they’ve made with their own hands, idols… God gets angry!
Do you see what God did with Moses? God sent him away from that burning bush with a clear commission… “Go and I will be with you.” And God sent him with two helpers: Aaron his brother and the shepherd’s staff. Aaron would be friend and cheerleader for Moses in his self-doubt, and the staff would be a tangible reminder of the miracles at the burning bush…and God would use that staff, many more times to do amazing things, that only God could do.
May I ask you… who and what has God provided for you, as He has called you, to follow Him in the adventure He has for you? And what did you in response to God’s invitation?
So Moses walked down off that mountain, probably shaking his head in disbelief. Led those sheep back to Jethro, and tried to explain to his family what had happened. Can you imagine that conversation? But remember, Jethro was introduced to us as “a priest of Midian.” (Ex. 2:16) and I’m imagining that as Moses told the story, a huge smile came across Jethro’s face, and he nodded his head up and down, and when Moses was finally finished, I think Jethro may have said something like… “well, let’s start packing, you have an adventure ahead of you and let’s not waste any time.”!
Do you have anyone in your life like that? I have two people like that in my life… My 92 year old Dad has been that man for me…over and over when my knees started to wobble and anxiety welled up in me, as I contemplated what I sensed God was asking me, to trust Him with…my Dad has been there, with stories from his life, when God invited him to step out in great faith. Thank you Dad! So many times it’s been your encouragement that helped me take the next bold step.
And then there my dear Dawnie, whom all of you know. Amazingly, every single time God has stretched our faith with another big faith step, she has said, “let’s go”! Oh my sweetheart, how can I thank you for your courage in following Jesus with me!
So I ask you, my friends, once again…do you have one or two people in your life like that, who will encourage you to take great faith steps with God, when your knees are knocking?
Finally I want to draw your attention to two more things in chapter 4. The strange event in vs. 24-26 and the first gathering of Moses, Aaron and the elders of the Hebrew slaves, in vs. 29-31.
In vs. 24-26 Moses, his wife and sons are traveling back to Egypt and they stop for the night, and Moses’ wife Zipporah circumcised her sons. What does it mean? Well, for one thing, it means Moses, as the leader of his family, had NOT circumcised his boys, as God had commanded Abraham, to be the mark of every male born into the miracle nation. This is for me another indication that Jethro may have been a man who worshiped God and had taught his daughters the truths about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses was, I believe, still somewhat confused about who he really was… Egyptian, Hebrew or some combination of both.
Zipporah was convinced about the truthfulness of Moses’ burning bush story, and realized the hugely significant mission God was calling Moses to. She knew her sons could grow up as eye witnesses to remarkable demonstrations of God working through a man, their Dad, Moses. But ONLY IF Moses would become the follower of God he would need to be.
She also knew they were living in disobedience as a family, to God’s clear covenant expectation of circumcision. I believe Zipporah knew God’s blessing of their family would require full obedience and thus she took the flint knife, when Moses wouldn’t.
Men, God has called us to be the spiritual and moral leaders of our family, right? And my brothers, I assure you, we, each of us, will be held accountable by God for the spiritual condition of our families. It’s never too late to step up to the privileged role we have of drawing our families to know and follow Jesus and have a hunger and love for God’s Word!
But dear women who are hearing my voice today, if you are in a family where the man in your family, who should be leading spiritually, isn’t, don’t stand by and do nothing, watching your family flounder spiritually… You find a way, like Zipporah did, to spiritually influence your children, and if he will accept it, your husband.
Finally, don’t you love how chapter 4 ends? “And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” And when Moses went home that night and Zipporah and the boys asked him, “so, how did things go with the Elders today when you told them about the bush”… what do you suppose he said?
Oh my friends… I wonder what God has in His mind for each of you, and Dawn and me, for the years we all have yet to live? He’s not done with any of us, I’m convinced of that… are we listening to Him?
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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