THE BIRTH OF MOSES.
Exodus 2:1-2 "And there went a man from the house of Levi, and took to wife the daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bore a son; and when she saw him that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months."
Moses' life is divided into three forty- year periods:
1) Forty years in Pharaoh's palace in Egypt.
2) Forty years in the desert of Midian.
3) Forty years in the wilderness as a leader of Israel.
Moses' training in Egypt, DID NOT prepare him, to follow God, in leading Israel out of Egypt. God trained Moses in the desert, to show him, that he, could NOT deliver Israel on his own.
After forty years of training in the desert, God, had prepared Moses to deliver His people Israel.
He sent Moses back to Egypt, to assemble the elders of Israel, and go before Pharaoh, and ask him, to let the people of Israel go. Egypt, was dominated by idolatry. There were thousands of temples, and many idols in Egypt. Satan, is always back of idolatry.
There was Satanic power, in the religion of Egypt.
2 Timothy 3:8 "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."
Here, the apostle Paul has given us the names, of these two magicians, who were called in by Pharaoh, when Moses began the miracles, and the plagues came upon Egypt. The account given to us in Exodus, reveals, that Satan, has power, supernatural power, and that he is a great imitator.
HE IMITATES THE THINGS THAT GOD DOES.
Personally, that is why I do not like the translation of the Bible, that tells us, that we, are to imitate God.
Moses, by the power of God, did the miracles of God.
Jannes and Jambres, were also able to perform miracles, through the power of Satan.
The apostle John warns us in
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Today, in many instances, a manifestation of power, is misunderstood. People, are led to think, that it is God's power at work, when in actual fact, the power, that is at work, is coming from Satan. Oh how we need to understand, that Satan, can imitate, the power of God. Pharaoh, made two statements when he said
Exodus 5:2 "... Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."
God soon made Himself known to Pharaoh in a terrible way, and Pharaoh eventually, let the people of Israel go.
God, is the Creator. He is Elohim, He is the mighty God, He is the self existing One; God says, that I AM WHO I AM. This is the God who is sending Moses, to deliver the children of Israel.
The time had come, for God to fulfill the promise, that He had made to Joseph. Joseph and all his family had dwelt in Egypt.
Genesis 50:24-25 "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land which He swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from here."
Exodus 2: 23-25 "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God new their plight."
GOD CALLED MOSES AND COMMISSIONED MOSES TO DELIVER THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT.
The angel of the Lord, appeared to Moses. This is none other than the pre- incarnate Christ. When we truly study the Word of God, we will surely come to this conviction.
Exodus 3:2 "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."
Moses, wanted to see this great sight, he wanted to see, why the bush, did not burn up. But God, called out to Moses, and told him, not to draw near the bush, but that he should take off his shoes, because the place where he was standing, was holy ground.
GOD HAD TO CORRECT MOSES' MANNERS BY TELLING HIM TO TAKE OFF HIS SHOES.
MOSES HAD TO TAKE OFF HIS SHOES BECAUSE
HE WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD.
Many people today, who are so familiar with God, need to learn this lesson that God is teaching Moses, that is, that
GOD IS HOLY.
The apostle John, fell flat on his face, when he came into the presence of God. This reveals to us dear reader, that GOD IS HOLY and that when we come before HIM, we need, to come with reverence. Today, we have a great company of people who bring God down to the level of ordinary man, and this, is actually blasphemous.
GOD IS HOLY, GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, GOD IS JUST AND GOD IS TRUE.
Today, we are not what we ought to be but we do believe that when we see Him, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as HE IS.
Exodus 3:6 "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 did not look upon God.
If he had, he would have looked upon the revelation of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, veiled in human form.
John 1:18 assures us that "No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him."
The only way that we can know God, is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
God told Moses, that He was going to deliver His people, out of the land of bondage, and place them in the land of milk and honey.
Out of and in to - THIS IS REDEMPTION.
When we are born-again God takes us out of bondage and He places us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been saved from sin unto holiness.
We have been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We have been given a position in Christ.
Dear reader, if you are saved today, then you are saved for all eternity. God, has taken you out of Adam, and He has placed you in Christ Jesus.
You have been brought out of death, and put into life.
You have been brought out of darkness and put into light.
You have been brought out of hell and put into heaven.
THIS, IS THE SALVATION OF GOD.
Dear reader, at this point, if you have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, or you are not sure that you have been placed in Him, let me beseech you, to invite Him, to come into your heart, right now.
Tell Him, that you believe, that He, has paid the full price, for your redemption. That when He died on the cross, He died in your place. Tell Him, that you believe, that He, bore your sin, in His own body, on the tree of Calvary. Please, let me encourage you to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, as your personal Saviour. Accept Him, while there is yet time. Tomorrow, may be too late.
2 Corinthians 6:2 "Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now, is the day of salvation."
HYMN. OUT OF MY BONDAGE.
Verse 1.
Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,
Jesus I come! Jesus I come!
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus I come to Thee!
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
JESUS I COME TO THEE!
Verse 2.
Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus I come! Jesus I come!
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus I come to Thee!
Out of earth's sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life's storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
JESUS I COME TO THEE!
Verse 3.
Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus I come! Jesus I come!
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus I come to Thee!
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
JESUS I COME TO THEE!
Verse 4.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus I come! Jesus I come!
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus I come to Thee!
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
JESUS I COME TO THEE!
AMEN.
Forty years before the burning bush experience, Moses, thought, that he was ready, to deliver the Israelites.
AT THIS POINT HE WAS QUITE AN ARROGANT MAN.
One day, he even slew an Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. He did this, because, he saw the Egyptian, beating one of his brethren. He wanted to deliver one of his brethren from persecution. He thought, that he could deliver Israel, in his own strength.
BUT GOD TOOK MOSES INTO THE DESERT, FOR SPECIAL TRAINING.
Training, that would prepare him for the commission, that God had given to him. In the desert, Moses learned just how weak he really was, and that actually, he could not deliver Israel by himself.
THIS TIME MOSES SAID TO GOD,
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?"
Moses told God, that he could not do, what God was asking him to do. This is the way that God trains all of His own people.
Do you remember David? After he killed the giant, God took him, and placed him in the caves and dens of the earth, where he was hunted like a partridge.
David soon found out, just how weak, he really was.
THEN GOD MADE HIM TO BE A KING.
Moses learned that he could not deliver Israel, but that
GOD COULD DELIVER ISRAEL THROUGH HIM.
God cannot use us when we are too strong.
The apostle Paul learned this, and he stated in
2 Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong."
Moses and Paul both recognized, that God could move through them, when they were weak.
It is amazing what God can do, through a weak vessel.
Moses was afraid that the children of Israel would not accept him, he felt that he could not explain this great God and what He had said, to them.
Exodus 3:13 "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."
God gave Moses instructions that he had to follow. He and the elders were to go to Pharaoh, and ask him, to let the Israelites journey for three days into the wilderness, so that they could sacrifice to their God as a nation.
God told Moses that Pharaoh would refuse to let the people go. Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go, opened the way for God's campaign against the gods of Egypt.
But even after God had shown His mighty wonders, Pharaoh still refused to let the children of Israel go.
So God brought plagues on Egypt, that would cause Pharaoh to change his mind, and let the children of Israel go.
GOD HAD A PLAN TO DELIVER ISRAEL.
Then God gave Moses a sign, He told Moses to cast his rod on the ground, and when he did, the rod became a serpent - a vicious monster. The rod was just an instrument and an instrument can be used by Satan as well as by God. For example the ten Rand note can be used to pay for murder or prostitution and it can be used for gambling or to buy liquor. In other words the ten Rand note can become a serpent - vicious monster. It is only when the ten Rand note is placed in the hand of child of God, who is moved by the power of God, that the ten Rand note, can be used for God.
Here we have a very important lesson. Many folk consider the radio, television and the internet to be the devil's instruments. This is true,
But God is also able to use these instruments, and through His chosen weak vessels, He is willing to bring the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, to this needy world.
You and I are able, through the Lord Jesus Christ, to turn the radio, the television and the internet into a rod, in the hand of God.
THIS IS A MOST WONDERFUL TRUTH THAT THE LORD JESUS IS WILLING TO USE WEAK VESSELS, LIKE YOU AND ME, TO PROCLAIM HIS MESSAGE OF SALVATION TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
SUMMARY.
Moses, was called of God, to deliver Israel, from bondage in Egypt. God trained Moses for forty years in the desert, and He commissioned Moses at the burning bush. This man, who was at one time so eager to deliver Israel, who ran ahead of God, was now reluctant, to accept his God given office of deliverer.
When he gave God his objections, God, put a rod in his hand. Moses learned that the rod, when it is used according to the will of God, BY A PERSON WHO IS YIELDED TO GOD, will become that persons, badge of authority.
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep our hearts with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
The heart, symbolizes the center of one's innermost being. It is the seat of our total personalities. The Lord Jesus said, that it is not what goes into a person that defiles a person, but that it is what comes out of a person, that defiles a person. The issues of life, will proceed from the heart, but it is the mouth and the lips, that will do the talking.
What is in the well of the heart, will come up, through the bucket of the mouth.
Our mouths, will give away what is stored in our hearts. We need to constantly ask God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, to cleanse our hearts, so that we may be clean vessels. We need to empty ourselves so that God can fill us with the Spirit to do His will in this world.
2 Timothy 2:21 "If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fit for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."
Today, God is looking for clean vessels, that He can use, for His glory. The question is, are we willing, to cleanse our hearts from every spot and stain?
Listen to this lovely prayer sung by Losinda.
CHORUS. JESUS TAKE ME AS I AM.
Sung by Losinda.
Jesus take me as I am, I can come no other way.
Take me deeper into You, Make my flesh life melt away.
Make me like a precious stone, Crystal clear and finely honed.
Life of Jesus shining through, Giving glory back to You.
GIVING GLORY BACK TO YOU.
AMEN.