Vigilante Approach

 Vigilante Approach

Exodus 2: ¹¹ Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. ¹² So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³ And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”

 

¹⁴ Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

 

So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” ¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

 

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Moses knew he was a Hebrew being raised as an Egyptian. He had the best Egypt had to offer at his every whim. He was the adopted grandson of Pharaoh. One day, Moses had enough of the Egyptian tyranny. He took it upon himself to kill an Egyptian. He thought he hid his murder, but was exposed by the Hebrews. He fled from Pharaoh.

 

My Observations:

• Moses felt he had the right to murder someone, just by watching someone else’s mistreatment.
• Moses was growing a heart for the salvation of the Hebrews, but he was going about it in a way that was not pleasing to GOD.
• Moses fled to the land of Midian, otherwise known as the desert.

 

While Moses motive was good, his method was not. Killing someone is appalling to GOD. Ever since the first murder of Cain, GOD saw people killed and felt every one of the murders. Moses had to confess that he was a murderer when writing Exodus.

 

This passage of scripture brings Moses up to date. From this point on, Moses can recall clearly what happened. Yet, GOD had to bring the information to his memory. This slice of history is less about Moses and more about the Israelites. Moses did not know that he was being choses to be the leader of the Israelites and would take them out of bondage someday.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses to write down his act of murder and his attempt to cover it up?
• Have you ever tried to cover something up?
• Have you made some mistakes that needs GOD’s forgiveness so HE can make you the leader HE needs you to be?

Wages for Motherhood

Wages for Motherhood

Exodus 2: ⁵ Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. ⁶ And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

 

⁷ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

 

⁸ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. ⁹ Then 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. ¹⁰ And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

 

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Jochebed, Moses’s mother, wanted her son to live. She made an ark for him and placed him in the water, praying that GOD would protect him. Pharaoh gave the decree that all males born, must be killed. Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing and saw the ark with the baby. She then hired Jochebed to nurse her own baby.

 

My Observations:

• GOD heard the prayer from Jochebed that is not written, but implied.
• Pharaoh’s daughter happened to be at the right place and at the right time to see the baby.
• Anyone other than Pharaoh’s daughter would have been penalized for saving a Hebrew baby.

 

Jochebed had no idea that she would ever see her son again. She built an ark to save him. This took faith that GOD would have a plan to feed him and care for him. The ark was sealed to protect the baby from wild animals, but that was all she could do.

 

GOD saw the situation and the HOLY SIPRIT orchestrated the timing of Pharaoh’s daughter’s bath. She was at the right age, the right temperament and the right time. She paid Jochebed to nurse her own son. Can you imagine the joy she felt? Pharaoh’s daughter named the child Moses, meaning drawn out from the water or saved from the water. Moses would see many other water events!

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about his mother being chosen to nurse him?
• Have you ever experienced GOD’s supernatural intervention?
• Have you forgotten that GOD can and will use supernatural powers to intervene in your situation?

Ark of Salvation for Moses

 

Ark of Salvation for Moses

Exodus 2: And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. ² So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. ³ But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. ⁴ And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

 

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Moses begins his autobiography with the words given to him by GOD. He starts of with the tribe he is from. He then talks about his salvation:

 

My Observations:

• Moses was from the Tribe of Levi, which would later become the Levitical Priests.
• Amram is Moses’ father and Jochebed is his mother who made an ark to save Moses from being killed.
• Miriam is Moses’ sister who watched over him to make sure he was safe.

 

GOD made an ark to save Noah and his family. HE wanted to save the world by saving one family. GOD did the same for Moses. An ark was built by his mother to save him from being found. She had no idea what would happen to him, but I am sure she prayed to GOD about this.

 

The midwives were followers of GOD and so was his mother. They would not obey Pharaoh’s order to kill all males because they feared the LORD. Jochebed was no exception. She feared the LORD and wanted to protect her son. Miriam followed GOD as well. GOD placed two women in Moses life who would pray and watch over HIM.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD inspire Moses to write his autobiography, starting with his tribe and his ark ride?
• Has there ever been a time in your life that you knew you were being watched over?
• What is your ark of salvation that sustained you from trouble?

Obedience Over Horror

 Obedience Over Horror

Exodus 1: ¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; ¹⁶ and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. ¹⁸ So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

 

¹⁹ And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

 

²⁰ Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. ²¹ And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

 

²² So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

 

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Seeing GOD’s blessings over the children of Israel made the new Pharaoh furious. He came up with a plan to murder all males born to the Hebrews to control their birthrate. He did not factor in GOD.

 

My Observations:

• The midwives knew that killing was wrong and they disobeyed Pharaoh’s commands to follow what GOD wanted.
• The midwives chose a dangerous path by disobeying Pharaoh.
• The midwives showed healthy fear of the LORD by disobeying a horrible insecure human.

 

Some people think obedience is a weakness, but in this example, it took strength and courage to say “No!” They would not only disobey Pharaoh, they would be the catalyst for even more reproduction. GOD dwelt with the midwives and the people multiplied.

 

HE also protected them and provided “households” for them. This made Pharaoh even more furious. He told everyone to cast male babies into the river. This was the beginning of the losing fight against GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the midwives’ fear of the LORD?
• Has a human law that would harm other people, forced you into making a decision to obey GOD or fall in line with the harm?
• Will you stand firm on faith or move because of fear?

Far From the Garden

Far From the Garden

Exodus 1: ⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; ¹⁰ come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. ¹² But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. ¹³ So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. ¹⁴ And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

 

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Remember the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect habitat where they could be fruitful and multiply without any hatred or bitterness. But now the Egyptians were hateful and bitter towards the children of Israel. The new Pharaoh had not heard of endearing stories of Joseph. All he cared about was pacifying his fear.

 

My Observations:

• The new Pharaoh wanted slaves and he expressed his insecurities with other Egyptians.
• The new Pharaoh came up with a plan that would put the children of Israel into bondage.
• The new Pharoah made the lives of the children of Israel bitter with hard bondage.

 

When the new leader of the nation was put in place, even the Egyptians felt the problem. When Joseph was alive, the Egyptians and the Israelites got along well. They lived in harmony and prospered. The peace experienced during the Joseph years was as close to peace felt by Adam and Eve.

 

But the new national leader came in with words of fear, hatred and bondage. Humanity was falling further and further from GOD. The longer humans spent out of the Garden of Eden, the more evil they became. GOD saw the new leader’s heart and had a plan to deliver HIS people.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the supernatural child fertility even when the children of Israel were afflicted?
• Have you ever experienced a new leader who has afflicted many people?
• Do you believe that what was meant for evil by the leader who afflicted many, GOD will use for good?

Fruitful Generations

 

Fruitful Generations

Exodus 1: Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: ² Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; ³ Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; ⁴ Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ⁵ All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). ⁶ And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. ⁷ But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

 

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This book begins with the twelve tribes of Israel moving to Egypt. Joseph was capture and brought to Egypt and his brothers moved there due to the famine GOD created. What was meant for evil, GOD used it for good. All of the tribes of Israel were now in Egypt and they were flourishing.

 

My Observations:

• The Hebrews were considered to be a lower class than the Egyptians.
• The children of Israel “were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty.”
• The Egyptians were probably not as fruitful.

 

Joseph’s generation all passed away. The twelve brothers were now known as tribes of Israel. Each tribe performed to the blessing given by Jacob. All of the tribes had many children. The fertility rate was supernatural!

 

GOD was growing the nation of Israel in an amazing way. You would think that everyone would be happy about this. But the multiplication and supernatural fertility would soon pose a threat to the Egyptians. GOD provided the fertility.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the generations of fertility in the nation of Israel?
• Has your success ever been met with jealousy?
• Is GOD making you fruitful for a reason?

Triumphant Exit Prophesied

 Triumphant Exit Prophesied

Genesis 50: ²² So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. ²³ Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.

 

²⁴ And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” ²⁶ So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

 

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Abraham died when he was one hundred seventy-five. Isaac died when he was one hundred eighty. Jacob died at one hundred forty-seven. Now Joseph died at one hundred ten. Most of Joseph’s life was spent in Egypt. He had the best food and the best care. He told his brothers and his children that he would be carried out of Egypt one day.

 

My Observations:

• Joseph prophesied the exit from Egypt, possibly prompted by the HOLY SPIRIT.
• GOD did not have Moses record any mourning that was done over Joseph, but we can assume it went longer than that of Jacob.
• Joseph’s brothers were also aged, with Benjamin in his nineties.

 

What was meant for evil, GOD meant for good. HE protected Joseph and placed him over Egypt. HE then protected Egypt while Joseph was alive. This did not mean that GOD condoned what Egyptians believed in. Egyptians believed that humans could be gods. They worshipped idols, humans and they owned other humans. All of this was appalling to GOD.

 

One day the Hebrews would be separated from the Egyptians, was Joseph’s dying prophesy. His relatives had no idea what was coming. Pharaoh was old as well. He allowed Joseph and his family to live in peace and luxury until Joseph died. GOD was about to do a great move.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD only told Moses about Joseph’s prophecy and did not include detail about the Egyptians mourning over him?
• Have you ever felt stuck or imprisoned?
• Is GOD planning a great Exodus for you and the people you support who are oppressed?