Deliverance From Pain and Sorrow

 

Deliverance From Pain and Sorrow

Exodus 3: ⁷ And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. ⁸ So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. ⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰ Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

 

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Speaking in unison, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT told Moses that HE has heard the cries of HIS people who are in Egypt. HE then said “I have come down to deliver them.”

 

My Observations:

• All the Hebrews could do is cry out to GOD.
• GOD knew who was doing the oppression, how long they were doing it and when.
• GOD made a promise to Moses that HE would deliver HIS children out of Egypt.

 

Telling Moses that HE heard the cry of the people is one thing, but to tell him, “Okay, here is what I am going to have you do something about it” is another. Moses was not crying out. In fact, he was getting older and was content to spend the rest of his life with his wife Zipporah tending Jethro’s flock.

 

I believe GOD has a time limit on oppression. After the cure HE put on creation and after the flood, GOD allowed free will to take its course. Unfortunately, humans usually do not turn to GOD, rather they seek other humans for wisdom. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites, to me, represent various human beliefs that people easily fall into without consulting GOD.

 

Egyptians were oppressing the children of Israel the most. GOD also saw that they would run to other humans that did not have their best interest in mind. Only GOD knew how much HE cared for them and HE decided to send Moses.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about HIS promise HE told him when speaking from the burning bush?
• Are you seeking contentment away from the troubles that other people are facing?
• Are you available to join up with GOD as HE executes HIS plan of bringing HIS people back to HIM?

Unprotected Interaction

Unprotected Interaction

Exodus 3: Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

 

⁴ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

 

And he said, “Here I am.”

 

⁵ Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” ⁶ Moreover 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 upon God.

 

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Moses was a Hebrew who believed in GOD’s direction. He would live with the murder he did for the rest of his life. He fled the murder scene and lived in the desert where he found peace. One day, Moses went a different route to graze the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro. GOD appeared to him as a flame in a bush and told him to remove his sandals, for where he stood was holy ground.

 

My Observations:

• Moses was content to stay in the desert the rest of his life.
• GOD pursued Moses and appeared to him differently than he had ever appeared to anyone before.
• GOD seemed to want a special interaction with Moses that required the physical touch of his feet.

 

I believe when writers use the words “the Angel of LORD,” it usually represents JESUS. But this morning I see more than JESUS here. I see the totality of GOD speaking to Moses. The FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT are present here, versus one entity. If the FATHER spoke, HE could say “I am GOD.” JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT could say the same thing.

 

Appearing as a fire that did not harm HIS creation seemed like GOD’s way of showing that HE means no harm, but could if HE wanted to. I also believe that it is impossible to comprehend GOD so HE showed HIS appearance to Moses in a unique way.

 

We try to separate GOD into roles and sometimes leave out one entity or another. GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT wanted to interact with HIS creation without any manmade item getting in the way. Moses sin did not block the desire of GOD to want the interaction.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD appear to Moses and why does HE want Moses to remove his sandals?
• Have you ever felt unworthy to have GOD pursue you?
• Is GOD pursuing you  and does HE want you to remove something that blocks a holy interaction with HIM?

Life Is What You Do With It

 Life Is What You Do With It

Exodus 2: ²³ Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. ²⁴ So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

 

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Somewhere over the course of forty years, the new Pharaoh died, but the affliction on the Hebrews remained. The people groaned and cried out to GOD because of their bondage. GOD heard the cries.

 

My Observations:

• Joseph was placed in Egypt as a blessing to him.
• The children of Israel were free while Joseph was alive, but enslaved after his death.
• GOD knew HE would free HIS people before they were enslaved.

 

When GOD made Adam and Eve, HE did not create them with problems. They had freedom to eat anything, say anything and go anywhere. Unfortunately, Satan tricked them into desiring what GOD said they shouldn’t. This is the fall of humanity. Ever since then, humans have tried to rule over other humans. Pharaoh spent his life in pursuit of ruling over people. He died without pleasing GOD.

 

Our free will is documented in the Bible. GOD knew and saw everything, but the Bible is written from a human perspective of what HE revealed. Humans were in bondage in Egypt and needed GOD’s rescue. The timing was right for GOD to put things into action to free HIS people. “GOD acknowledged them.”

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the death of the new Pharaoh and the Hebrews groaning?
• What are you spending your life’s time on?
• Can you make GOD your purpose in life despite the situation?

Moses Finds a Family

 Moses Finds a Family

Exodus 2: ¹⁶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

 

¹⁸ When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”

 

¹⁹ And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.”

 

²⁰ So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”

 

²¹ Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. ²² And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

 

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Moses wanted to get away from the Egyptians because he killed one of them. He also wanted to get away from the Hebrews because they saw what he did and asked him “Who made you prince and judge over us?” Moses went to Midian.

 

My Observations:

• Moses was scared and confused when he left Egypt.
• Moses was a physically strong, brave fighter who could kill someone easily.
• Moses was actually a gentle servant.

 

Reuel, or Jethro would eventually become Moses’s father-in-law. Zipporah would become his wife. They were Midianites. This group of people would fight the Israelites later. But for now, Moses was accepted into the family.

 

Zipporah would bare a son named Gershom, meaning a stranger. Gershom would not inherit the leadership of the Hebrews because GOD chooses HIS leaders. Not much was said about Gershom. Midian was probably near the mountain where Moses would eventually meet GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD tell Moses to talk about his encounter with the Midianites?
• Have you ever felt like getting away from the problems you may have caused?
• Has GOD sent you to a strange place for you to start over?

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?