As we look at Moses’ origin story (he was no superhero, but he was certainly heroic!), we discover that Jacob and his twelve sons settled in Egypt as a result of a devastating regional famine. That terrible event is what brought Jacob to be reunited with Joseph, whom he thought was slain by a beast, and started the process rolling for Israel’s destiny.
They entered Egypt as a family, but they left in the exodus as a nation; GOD Himself taking them by the hand (like a parent, gently, slowly, carefully leading their precious little one who toddles along; JER 31:32) and leading them to the Promised Land, with Moses at the head of the line…
EXODUS begins with the word “Now…” in Chapter 1, verse 1 because it picks up where GENESIS leaves off in this narrative, even though it was 300 years since the death of Joseph, second youngest son of Jacob. And this story has to do with another of Jacob’s twelve sons, Levi – or more accurately a son of Levi: Moses…
EXODUS 1:7-14
7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know [or didn’t recognize, or acknowledge all that Joseph had done for Egypt] Joseph. 9 And he [Pharoah] 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 for Pharaoh they built supply cities, Pithom and Ramses. 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 (“severity, cruelty”).
Incidentally, the same thing happens to the church; history shows that where the church is persecuted, the more it grows and becomes spiritually robust. Any trial you face, any affliction you endure (they don’t feel good, but they are good for us!), you are going through it by the direction and grace of GOD. Trials strengthen us, they purify us, they burn off the dross and those things that disable us from advancing in GOD’s kingdom. A sword untried in the furnace will break in the first battle! GOD does not intend that for you! Thank GOD for our trials!
As you may recall, Jacob and kin settled in the land of Goshen, but it indicates here that the land of Egypt became full of the Hebrew people, such was their prosperity.
This new Pharoah further instructed the midwives that assisted the Hebrew women in childbirth to kill their babies if they were male. He further ordered that every Hebrew male baby be thrown into the Nile River and drowned – but the midwives didn’t obey Pharoah, and the LORD blessed them for it.
I truly believe that GOD not only has a marvelous sense of humor, but also an exquisite sense of poetic justice!
This ruler of Egypt, the then world power of the nations wanted to destroy Israel’s spirit, thus ensuring their subservience as his slaves, but what happens?
EXODUS 2:1-9
1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as a 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 for 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 [Moses] sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 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 had 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 [Moses’] 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.
Moses’ Mom builds a water-proof, floatable basket and sets her son in the Nile – the very same river that Egyptian soldiers were ordered to drown Hebrew male babies in. That river that was infested with Egyptian crocodiles that would clean up that river, consuming those tiny, floating bodies (these crocs were miniature dinosaurs at a max of 20 feet or more in length, weighing nearly 900 lbs.!). That’s where this woman placed her infant son!
Now all of you who are Moms…In your opinion would this woman win the “Mother of the Year” award? Some of you might say, “Ha! If you think I’m putting my kid in that river, that’s a load of croc!”
Moses, perceived by his parents to be “a proper child” – contented, happy, well-behaved, goodly – and a baby with a destiny, trusted GOD for his safe keeping. We know what happened!
The babe is left among the reeds by the riverside and virtually falls in the lap of Pharoah’s daughter, who recognizes the infant as a Hebrew, but apparently doesn’t tell Pharoah about his origin (?). She called his name “Moses” (Mosheh) which could mean “to draw out [of the water]”.
The Egyptians believed that the Nile River was a god, one of the ten primary gods and goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon of the gods. That’s why there are the Ten Plagues of Egypt, because each plague sent by GOD was a judgment upon Egypt and each one of the ten false gods that they worshipped. So, Pharaoh’s daughter probably saw Moses as a gift to her by the god of the Nile.
Then Moses’s sister Miriam asks Pharoah’s daughter if she’d like to have a nursemaid for the baby, and the royal lady agrees.
Think of it: the very same ruler that commanded Hebrew baby boys to be killed has one of those babies being raised in his own palace, fed, clothed, educated (ACTS 7:22) at the Egyptian government’s expense. And Moses Mom is getting paid by Pharoah to nurse her own child! He eventually becomes a Prince of Egypt!
This would be somewhat analogous to Adolf Hitler’s sister finding a Jewish baby and raising him in Hitler’s own mansion and being given a place of prominence and honor!
What are we seeing here in EXODUS, but the sovereignty of GOD bringing about His holy will, using the very enemies of His people to support and furnish the Deliverer of Egypt with a life of luxury, who would eventually deprive Pharoah of all of his slaves!
But why would Pharaoh agree to his daughter taking in a Hebrew baby? It’s possible, as I said, that she didn’t tell him about the baby’s heritage or perhaps she did. Scholars believe that this woman was barren, and having no children of her own, wanted to adopt the baby, with the promise – maybe, that she was raise him up as an Egyptian.
Many (not all) of these same scholars believe that this daughter of Pharoah is none other than Bithiyah, who eventually married the Hebrew man, Mered and became a proselyte of Judaism. In 1 CHRON 4:17-18, she is identified by commentators as an Egyptian, but given a Hebrew name which means, “daughter or worshiper of Jah”.
It’s likely that Moses mother who raised him as his nursemaid and caregiver also instructed him in the ways of the LORD, but it’s even possible that his step-mother, the one who would be known as Bithiyah also encouraged him to learn the ways of the Hebrews.
All the while Moses grew into manhood, in the lap of luxury, who achieved great acts and victories befitting his royal station, witnessed on a daily basis the atrocities perpetrated on the Hebrew slaves, his brothers and sisters.
Imagine the conflict that he experienced! Pharoah was his benefactor – the life Moses lived, he owed to that man. There was probably a deep connection, maybe even affection between Pharoah and Moses, his adopted son.
Yet at the same time, he couldn’t deny his heritage and keep turning a blind eye to the suffering of his people. The mental and emotional turmoil eventually came to a boiling point.
As a Christian – have you ever felt torn between two worlds? Especially all of you who are teens and 20-somethings. You have all your life before you, the world is at your fingertips. You see what others have and find those things attractive – you want some of these nice things for yourself. And there is nothing wrong with having possessions, material blessings…
But the treasures of this world want to possess you and strangle any kind of Christian witness out of you.
MATTHEW 13:22You feel no doubt a conflict similar to what Moses felt. He could have stayed on easy street, living a life of luxury and comfort or risk losing it all by coming up on the wrong side of Pharoah and Egypt.
"Now he who received seed [the Word of GOD] among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares [literally, “the distractions”] of this world and the deceitfulness [“delusions” in the Greek – could we say, hellish hallucinations?] of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful.
One day, he saw a scene that he no doubt had witnessed countless times before, but he could take it no longer:
EXODUS 2:11-12
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.
“When [he] was grown” … At this point, he was forty years old, but remember, he lived to be 120 years old, so he’s only at one third of his lifetime here. For you and I, this would equate to being 25-30 years old.
Moses had some insight into the plan that GOD had for him. Realizing his calling, that he could deliver his people from slavery – he hoped that the Hebrew slaves would understand this too.
ACTS 7:23-25But the problem was, he took matters into his own hands. Rather than waiting upon GOD to lead him, Moses “jumped the gun”, he took the initiative and got ahead of GOD’s timetable. This is why I pray, “LORD, let me walk with you with divine punctuality – not early, not late, right on time, in lock step with You!”
23 "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.
He did the same thing that Abraham did when his wife Sarah was barren, both of them were ancient (about 100 years old) even though GOD promised them a son through Sarah. Their solution: Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar!
They felt that they needed to help GOD out, and every time we try to fulfill GOD’s will by our own power, we end up with “Ishmael’s”. Abraham’s illegitimate son, as we know became a nation that predominantly became Muslim who have sworn to eradicate Israel off the face of the Earth!
Moses made his choice: he looked this way and that, made sure no one saw him, and delivered one Hebrew slave from his Egyptian persecutor, then buried his dead body in the sand. At this rate, I wonder if it occurred to Moses, how many Egyptian taskmasters would he bury in the sand before someone took notice (“This sand is starting to look lumpy, don’t you think?).
But GOD had much bigger plans for Moses than liberating just one slave. GOD intends on doing great things with His children, and the plans you have for your life are probably much smaller than what the LORD intends for you!
A graduate with an engineering degree back in the 60’s was a genius and was catered to by big, powerful corporations, all wanting to recruit him and offering upper five-digit salaries – that’s about $900,000 in today’s currency. He takes the best offer, but then becomes a Christian. GOD calls him to the mission field, and so he turns in his resignation, but his employer doesn’t want to lose him – so they double his salary. His response?
“The pay is alright, but the job is too small. GOD’s called me to be a missionary.”
HEBREWS 11:24-27That engineer turned missionary had the same eternal perspective as did Moses! I want to maintain two perspectives in life: I want to live one day at a time, but I also want to live for eternity, both perspectives seen through Christ. That’s my objective.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming [valuing, appreciating] the reproach of Christ [as] greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
This man who would become the Deliverer of Israel had the wisdom to bow to the will of Almighty GOD rather than the will of Pharoah. He had the good sense to see what he would suffer for righteousness and the eternal reward he would receive, as being far, far better than the paltry, cheap, temporary blessings of this world.
It was the same deal with Daniel’s three compatriots (DAN 3): Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – better known as Shadrach, Meschech and Abednego who were faced with the decision to bow down to the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar raised up, who commanded all the people to bow down and worship.
They could have gone along with the crowd, blended in, caved in to the peer pressure and honor this pagan king and his image – or they could honor the LORD GOD, their Creator and Redeemer and refuse to bow, just the same way Moses came to refuse the life he led as an Egyptian! That earned these three young men (probably teens or early 20’s) some time in the furnace.
They had no idea whether they’d be delivered from this world and into the presence of GOD by fire, or delivered from the fire, to remain on Earth still to accomplish GOD’s will for their lives, but they were determined to obey GOD – NO MATTER WHAT THE COST – and they were delivered. The LORD was with them in that furnace of persecution, as He always will be for His children!
That’s the choice we all have to make: Christ and His Kingdom, His ways or this world and its ways under the influence of the “god of this world” Satan.
Thank GOD we have yet another reprieve where we won’t have to be concerned about anti-Christian, anti-Bible policies from our own government like we were previously spared in 2016.
But as we know, things can turn on a dime and we can end up with a Socialist President once again and we’ll need to make choices – either don’t stir up trouble by our allegiance to Christ or by faith, take that stand NO MATTER WHAT and experience “light affliction” of persecution, with the promise of “an eternal weight of glory” (2 COR 4:17).
EXODUS 2:13-15
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 into the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
Again, by now Moses had realized GOD’s call on his life; he felt obligated to take out that Egyptian taskmaster who mercilessly beat on the Hebrew slave. Remember how he “looked this way and that” to see if there were any witnesses. But one direction he didn’t look for witnesses. Up.
Now in this second instance we see Moses trying to mediate between two Hebrew slaves, trying to set them at peace, and according to ACTS 7:27, one of these two slaves actually shoved Moses, essentially asking, “Who died and made YOU boss?!” Or literally, “a ruler and a judge”.
Moses would come to learn that GOD made him both over Israel. But at this point, he’s trying to do GOD’s will and be the Deliverer of Israel his own way. What he ended up with is a murdered Egyptian planted in the ground but “this thing is known”! Pharoah has found out and wants to kill Moses now – you reap what you sow (GAL 6:8).
EXODUS 2:23-25
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.
The Pharoah that rose to power after the days of Joseph was Sesotris, and he’s the one that began to persecute the Hebrews, making them slaves. By the time Moses came around Ramesses II rose to power, and he continued to persecute the Hebrews – this went on for over 400 years!
Then Ramesses II died, but the persecution didn’t end there either. The people were still groaning in their bondage, and their cry was heard by GOD, and He remembered the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Did these Hebrew slaves deserve GOD’s mercy? Were they worthy of deliverance? There is no indication whatsoever, generally speaking, that these Hebrews were in any way faithful to YHWH. It would seem that if they were, the Holy Spirit would have inspired Moses who wrote the first five books of the Bible, to make note of that.
But GOD delivered them anyway, because:
1) GOD is full of grace and tender mercies.
2) GOD has a plan for Israel that would stretch on to eternity.
3) GOD made a binding covenant with Abraham that can’t be broken because it depends not on Israel’s faithfulness, but GOD’s faithfulness in staying true to His promise!
Looking at Israel today, there are many that denounce them as GOD’s people because of their sinful rebellion and rejection of their Messiah; they say that GOD’s covenant with them is broken, and all the promises to Israel have been transferred to the church.
BUT GOD remains true to His nature, and to His Word – He is still full of grace and truth, His plan for Israel remains intact, and the covenant He made with Abraham and His descendants is still valid (ACTS 1:6-7)!
EZEKIEL 36:22-27So where do we leave Moses?
22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 "And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 "For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
He has fled to Midian, that’s approximately a 300 mile walk! He meets Jethro, priest of Midian and his seven daughters. He marries one of them, Zipporah and has two sons: Gershom and Eliezer. And what was the job that this former Prince of Egypt took for the next FORTY YEARS of his life? Herding sheep – for forty years!
Why so long a time? It took that long for GOD to break this man of his pride and sense of independence. A person who thinks that they can do GOD’s will by rolling up their sleeves and pulling up their bootstraps and get the job done by their own strength is going to have a Time Out by GOD until they learn better!
So, for forty years – same smelly sheep, same barren desert, days blurring together, longing for his family back in Egypt, maybe even some friends, feeling rejected by his own people and feeling like a failure.
We know how the story goes! We’ve read this before! But put yourself in Moses place: he has no idea what tomorrow will bring, just the same way you don’t. He likely felt that he let GOD down, and his own people.
BUT GOD….
One day, back in the desert, back to tending the sheep (interesting, that these two great leaders of Israel: Moses and David were both shepherds), he sees something that wasn’t all that uncommon in the desert. An acacia bush caught on fire due to the extreme desert heat, lack of rain, and a thick flammable resin that would ooze out of its bark.
That he saw such a bush on fire wasn’t what attracted his attention. It was the fact that the bush didn’t burn up! Not only didn’t this bush burn but it also had another rather remarkable ability: it spoke! And this is how Moses Begins his extraordinary life with GOD, used greatly for the LORD’s great purpose. Please remember what you heard today, because GOD has an extraordinary life for all who love Him, who seek Him, who follow Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment