[Exodus 7-11]
And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'" So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'" And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."'" And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!'" So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." Moses said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile." And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile." So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'" And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'" And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." But Moses said, "It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us." So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me." Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die."'" And the LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them."'" Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt." Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God." (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?" So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?" Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD." But he said to them, "The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking." And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left." So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me." So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind." But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there." But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die." Moses said, "As you say! I will not see your face again."
The LORD said to Moses, "Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry." And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
So Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, you and all the people who follow you.' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
{Rev. Charles Han}
What do the plagues reveal?
1) They reveal that the God of the Israelites is the one true living God.
This is God showing his dominance over the gods of Egypt. For instance, look at the first plague. He struck the Nile. The God of Nile is called Hopi. The river is what gave this region life. It is the source of their power. They depend upon it for their crops.
Look at the frogs. The goddess of fertility had the head of a frog. God sent so many frogs that they could not step anywhere without stepping on a frog. What does it say when you cannot walk without stepping on a frog, something deemed sacred.
The darkness... to counter the belief in Ra, god of the sun.
The magicians of Egypt were able to replicate the first two miracles. But they could not create gnats from dust. They said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God."
Our God is not just loving. He is also holy & powerful. We have domesticated God in our minds. We think of him as a grandfather. A nice guy who spoils us. He is our father in heaven. One who can rightly tell us what to do with our lives.
2) They show the de-creating nature of sin.
God created the world to have perfect wholeness, shalom. When sin enters into the picture, it unravels this wholeness. This is what the plagues show us. They show what God has made, being undone. When the Nile turns to blood, there is an ecological disaster. The plague of darkness is the undoing of Day 1 of creation, creating light. Finally, culminating in the final plague, death.
Take workaholics. They make an idol of work. What happens over time? Their health degrades because they don't take sabbath. They don't rest. Their psychological health degrades. They constantly worry about work. Placing undue burdens on themselves. They don't have time for their relationships. Relationships with family, friends, significant others disappear. Divorce, breakups, emotionally distant. Everything unravels.
3) They were meant to show salvation through judgment.
When God wanted to save people, he showed them his holiness. By showing how terrible the price of sin was, people realize their need for salvation. In some way, God terrorizes people to comfort them. God could have simply struck down Pharaoh. Why so many plagues? God was trying to reason with Pharaoh. You can see it here, "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the LORD..."
Consider that our salvation comes because Jesus went through all the terrors of God. God's judgment & wrath were poured out on Christ. Jesus went through what Pharaoh went through, so that we would be saved.
This is our God. They is the story of our salvation.
Sep 19, 2010
The Gospel According to Moses: Fix Your Eyes on the Right "I"
{Exodus 4:1-7}
Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" 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." 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. 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."
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." Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 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. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
God saves people for a purpose. To do good works. He has prepared his people thru experiences & personality for a particular niche in the church. Christians should be glad to serve him. But instead we are reluctant. This is the same for Moses...
Why is Moses reluctant?
1) Because of the people God has called him to serve.
Moses says they will say "The LORD did not appear to you." So he sees them as hard-headed and difficult. He probably recalls how they talked of how he killed that Egyptian and got him chased out of Egypt.
But this really means that we are making God small and people big.
2) Self-centeredness
Some people think they do what God has called them to, without His help. That's pride. But there is also false humility. That is when we think ourselves unable to perform something that God calls us to. We consider our shortcomings. But both pride & false humility are centered on the self.
So what does it mean to be truly humble? It isn't to think less of ourselves, but rather to think of ourselves less... (If God can do all things, then we should be less concerned about ourselves.)
3) He did not want to submit to the will of God.
Moses goes through all these excuses... And God answers all of them. So what does he say? "Oh, my LORD, please send someone else." And God gets angry... but instead of rejecting Moses. God stays patient.
Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" 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." 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. 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."
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." Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 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. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
God saves people for a purpose. To do good works. He has prepared his people thru experiences & personality for a particular niche in the church. Christians should be glad to serve him. But instead we are reluctant. This is the same for Moses...
Why is Moses reluctant?
1) Because of the people God has called him to serve.
Moses says they will say "The LORD did not appear to you." So he sees them as hard-headed and difficult. He probably recalls how they talked of how he killed that Egyptian and got him chased out of Egypt.
But this really means that we are making God small and people big.
2) Self-centeredness
Some people think they do what God has called them to, without His help. That's pride. But there is also false humility. That is when we think ourselves unable to perform something that God calls us to. We consider our shortcomings. But both pride & false humility are centered on the self.
So what does it mean to be truly humble? It isn't to think less of ourselves, but rather to think of ourselves less... (If God can do all things, then we should be less concerned about ourselves.)
3) He did not want to submit to the will of God.
Moses goes through all these excuses... And God answers all of them. So what does he say? "Oh, my LORD, please send someone else." And God gets angry... but instead of rejecting Moses. God stays patient.
Sep 12, 2010
The Gospel According to Moves: Meeting the Living God
{Exodus 3:1-12}
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your 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 at God.
Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 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. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He said, "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."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
1) When Moses meets God
Moses is on the west side of the wilderness. This is fairly far from where he was currently living. This is not usually where he would be, but this probably was a result of his shepherding duties. It is here that Moses sees this burning bush. This is usually considered the point of Moses' conversion. He probably knew about God. But he didn't know God. Much like celebrities of today, we know much about them. But we don't know them.
2) What Moses learns about God
God meets Moses when he was facing the fact that his life did not turn out the way he expected or wanted.
God meets Moses through this burning bush... What does this mean?
God was the God over all nature and creation. God was able to take a bush, set it aflame, and keep it continually burning. A fire that does not consume is not natural.
God is a holy God. Fire is symbolic of holiness. God meets Abraham as a firepot. God tells Moses to take off his sandals. This is a sign of respect. Not only that, but Moses hides his face in terror. God is so holy, it is terrifying.
God is a personal & loving God. He calls Moses, "Moses, Moses". The repetition of a name is a term of endearment. God draws Moses near. He desires us to be near. He talks of the affliction of Israel and His desire to deliver them. God has a love for His people.
But there is a tension here. A terrifyingly holy God who has a heart for sinners. The holiness of God would cause sinners to die. So what then?
3) The Result of meeting God
We are humbled into His service.
Instead of everything revolving around us, our world begins to revolve around Him. We make God into this genie. We ask God for things & miracles, but we are not here to serve Him.
It makes us bold for His service.
God is with us while we are serving. This is not just the "comforting" God. He is also the God who parted the Red Sea, who does miracles. That is also the God who is with us. We can do all things in Christ.
Christian Medical and Dental Association
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your 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 at God.
Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 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. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He said, "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."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
1) When Moses meets God
Moses is on the west side of the wilderness. This is fairly far from where he was currently living. This is not usually where he would be, but this probably was a result of his shepherding duties. It is here that Moses sees this burning bush. This is usually considered the point of Moses' conversion. He probably knew about God. But he didn't know God. Much like celebrities of today, we know much about them. But we don't know them.
2) What Moses learns about God
God meets Moses when he was facing the fact that his life did not turn out the way he expected or wanted.
God meets Moses through this burning bush... What does this mean?
God was the God over all nature and creation. God was able to take a bush, set it aflame, and keep it continually burning. A fire that does not consume is not natural.
God is a holy God. Fire is symbolic of holiness. God meets Abraham as a firepot. God tells Moses to take off his sandals. This is a sign of respect. Not only that, but Moses hides his face in terror. God is so holy, it is terrifying.
God is a personal & loving God. He calls Moses, "Moses, Moses". The repetition of a name is a term of endearment. God draws Moses near. He desires us to be near. He talks of the affliction of Israel and His desire to deliver them. God has a love for His people.
But there is a tension here. A terrifyingly holy God who has a heart for sinners. The holiness of God would cause sinners to die. So what then?
3) The Result of meeting God
We are humbled into His service.
Instead of everything revolving around us, our world begins to revolve around Him. We make God into this genie. We ask God for things & miracles, but we are not here to serve Him.
It makes us bold for His service.
God is with us while we are serving. This is not just the "comforting" God. He is also the God who parted the Red Sea, who does miracles. That is also the God who is with us. We can do all things in Christ.
Christian Medical and Dental Association
Sep 5, 2010
The Gospel According To Moses: The Faithfulness Of God When He Seems Silent (Part II)
[Exodus 2:1-25]
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews’ children." Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known." When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come home so soon today?" They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock." He said to his daughters, "Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
First of all, Pharaoh and the other Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites. They plotted to kill all the Israelite boys. They told the midwives to kill all the boys, but the midwives disobeyed. They disobeyed because they feared God. So this Levite couple has a baby boy. They kept him for 3 months, but probably realized they could not hide him anymore. So they built this basket and floated him down the river. His basket floated down the river and he was found by Pharaoh's daughter. He ends up being brought up by his mother until he is weaned. Then he enters the Pharaoh's daughter's household. He probably had the best education available in Egypt.
There are also other interesting details. Moses was the son of Levites. So he was born into a tribe that was responsible for spiritual leadership. His life bears lots of parallels with the people of Israel. He is drawn from the water. The Israelites were saved from the Red Sea. He lived as an alien in a foreign land, which also happens to the Israelites. Moses pre-lives Israel's history.
Moses grows up. 40 years later, Moses sees his people. This means Moses had identifies himself with Israel. He had a choice to identify himself with the Egyptians. He was heir apparent to the throne. But he rejects this. He kills an Egyptian and gets rejected by fellow Hebrews. He ends up a shepherd in a foreign land. He knew the suffering of his people and he wanted to free them, but he tried to do it his way. This didn't work.
Principles
1) Despite appearances, God perfectly orchestrates our lives for His purpose.
Our lives are completely under God's control. He takes both good and bad events to fulfill his purposes and also to our good. All of our past prepares us for where we are now and where we will be in the future. There are things we are not proud of, mistakes we've made, but God uses those as well. It doesn't always look like God's doing something, but He works it out. It might not happen the way we want or expect, but God uses all of these things for good.
2) Despite appearances, God perfect orchestrates our lives for His purpose in His time.
Perhaps, we have a timeline in our minds. However, the timeline God has in store might be completely different. We want to graduate at this time. Then get married, then have a kid... ,etc. We are tempted to compare our lives to other people and their success and accomplishments. But God is working and preparing us for the future. Moses was learning to be a shepherd. Herding sheep for 40 years in a foreign land.
3) God humbles those He loves and uses.
Moses is bold. He hates injustice and will stand up for people. These are admirable qualities. But Moses was serving in his own strength. God takes him into the wilderness and humbles Moses. He teaches Moses to rely on God instead of his own strength. It took 40 years for God to work on Moses. This probably speaks of how proud Moses was. God knew of the pain and suffering of his people. But He was readying His instrument. This does not need to be forced upon us. We can humble ourselves. We can look to the cross and see our need of a savior, see what Christ had to do on our behalf. Consider that after we have been humbled, what God can do through us.
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews’ children." Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known." When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come home so soon today?" They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock." He said to his daughters, "Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
First of all, Pharaoh and the other Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites. They plotted to kill all the Israelite boys. They told the midwives to kill all the boys, but the midwives disobeyed. They disobeyed because they feared God. So this Levite couple has a baby boy. They kept him for 3 months, but probably realized they could not hide him anymore. So they built this basket and floated him down the river. His basket floated down the river and he was found by Pharaoh's daughter. He ends up being brought up by his mother until he is weaned. Then he enters the Pharaoh's daughter's household. He probably had the best education available in Egypt.
There are also other interesting details. Moses was the son of Levites. So he was born into a tribe that was responsible for spiritual leadership. His life bears lots of parallels with the people of Israel. He is drawn from the water. The Israelites were saved from the Red Sea. He lived as an alien in a foreign land, which also happens to the Israelites. Moses pre-lives Israel's history.
Moses grows up. 40 years later, Moses sees his people. This means Moses had identifies himself with Israel. He had a choice to identify himself with the Egyptians. He was heir apparent to the throne. But he rejects this. He kills an Egyptian and gets rejected by fellow Hebrews. He ends up a shepherd in a foreign land. He knew the suffering of his people and he wanted to free them, but he tried to do it his way. This didn't work.
Principles
1) Despite appearances, God perfectly orchestrates our lives for His purpose.
Our lives are completely under God's control. He takes both good and bad events to fulfill his purposes and also to our good. All of our past prepares us for where we are now and where we will be in the future. There are things we are not proud of, mistakes we've made, but God uses those as well. It doesn't always look like God's doing something, but He works it out. It might not happen the way we want or expect, but God uses all of these things for good.
2) Despite appearances, God perfect orchestrates our lives for His purpose in His time.
Perhaps, we have a timeline in our minds. However, the timeline God has in store might be completely different. We want to graduate at this time. Then get married, then have a kid... ,etc. We are tempted to compare our lives to other people and their success and accomplishments. But God is working and preparing us for the future. Moses was learning to be a shepherd. Herding sheep for 40 years in a foreign land.
3) God humbles those He loves and uses.
Moses is bold. He hates injustice and will stand up for people. These are admirable qualities. But Moses was serving in his own strength. God takes him into the wilderness and humbles Moses. He teaches Moses to rely on God instead of his own strength. It took 40 years for God to work on Moses. This probably speaks of how proud Moses was. God knew of the pain and suffering of his people. But He was readying His instrument. This does not need to be forced upon us. We can humble ourselves. We can look to the cross and see our need of a savior, see what Christ had to do on our behalf. Consider that after we have been humbled, what God can do through us.
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