Moses Meets His Maker
Notes
Transcript
Moses Meets His Maker
Exodus 3
If any person knew what it was like to get ahead of God, Moses did. Moses tried to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt in his own power and he failed miserably. He was 40 years old when he failed.
He was rejected by his own people.
His adopted people put a price on his head.
He fled to the desert. By the grace of God he married and had a family. Another 40 years have passed. This morning we Moses 40 years later. He is an 80 year old man.
As an 80-year-old man he has done virtually nothing for God. He probably feels as if his life is a waste. Everything is about to change. Moses is about to meet God. This encounter changes everything for himself and the people of Israel.
1. Moses is humbled by God.
A. He had been living a mundane life. “Dull , boring, common”.
“Keeping the flock of his father in law”
A shepherd.
Not even his own sheep. His father-in-law.
Genesis 46:34 tells us that the Egyptians hated shepherds.
He’d been raised to look down on Shepherds. Now he was one.
To find food for the flock he leads them to Horeb.
Would eventually become known as the Mountain of God because God would do a great work there. But now it’s not a great place.
There are places that have a reputation as bad. Illustration. Friend from Jacksonville said “I’m from the West side, the best side, the home of the double wide”.
Horeb means dryness, desolation. Described the land.
Also described his life.
He’d been somebody, now he’s nobody.
He’d been somewhere, now he’s nowhere.
He’d been envied, now he’s pitied.
What’s on this 80 year old man’s resume?
Nothing!
Lots of education- no accomplishments.
Good looks- now he’s an old man.
Mighty in strength- now he’s weakened by the years.
Moses had spent a long time doing nothing.
Num. 12:3 says Moses was the humblest man on earth.
40 years of a mundane life made him that way.
But God was working! God was making Him into a man He could use!
You may feel like you are in the middle of nowhere and no one sees you, God sees you! God is working!
B. God came to Moses in the wilderness (2-5).
“The angel of the Lord” (2) is God in verse (4)
Not in a human form. He is in the bush. He is hidden. Moses sees a bush that is burning but not consumed.
Moses turns to see the bush.
God calls out Moses, Moses!
Thank God He calls our name more than once!
Abraham (Genesis 22)
Jacob (Genesis 46)
Samuel (1 Samuel 3)
Martha (Luke 10)
Peter (Luke 22)
Paul (Acts 9)
Moses amazed at the bush. Something so easy to burn would not.
Two things we learn about God:
1) Our God is a consuming fire. Holy, Powerful
2) The humblest things are not consumed by Him.
Moses, Israel, me and you could be easily consumed by Him!
Moses “Here I am!”
God tells Moses to prepare Himself. Take off your shoes. Holy Ground.
We take off our hats to symbolize reverence.
In their culture they removed their shoes to symbolize defilement.
When they do that, they are saying “I am unworthy”
Moses learned you do not rush into the presence of God.
What a change from chapter 2 to chapter 3.
Chapter 2 he rushed into the work of God.
Now we see him preparing himself.
C. Moses was afraid to look at God.
Not afraid of the Egyptian soldier!
Not afraid of the shepherds!
Moses was in the presence of Almighty God and it shook him to the core.
Like Isaiah in Isa. 6
Like John in Revelation 1
This is how we know he is ready.
He is humbled.
He is alone with God.
It’s amazing how far God has brought Moses.
When no one sees us God sees us.
When it seems like we’re not learning anything God is teaching us.
If we are ever anything for God it will be because we have been alone with Him.
Illustration:
Getting saved. All alone. In trailer. Turning the pages of the Bible with fingers still stained from the tar of THC.
2. Moses is commissioned by God (7-12).
A. God had a plan (7-9).
The compassion of God.
“seen” affliction
“heard” prayers
“know” sufferings same as 2:24-25
His compassion moved Him to “come down”
The mercy of God!
I can’t help but think of Jesus.
He saw us, He heard us, He knew us!
He came down!
To sympathize
Serve
Suffer
Don’t miss why He came down. Look at verse 8. He came down to deliver them!
He could have come to judge but He came to deliver them.
Notice He came to take them out and up.
Out of Egypt and up to the Promised Land.
Christ has done this for us!
Out of darkness up into the light!
Out of sin and up into righteousness!
Out of death and up into life!
Out of this world and up into heaven!
Notice it’s a big land.
Land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites.
Six nations listed here.
This is a large land!
I get to thinking about heaven!
A land of many nations but one language!
A land of many people but one God!
Heaven is big y’all!
Holds more people than you can count.
Holds a mansion for every person
Contains the treasures of every person
Holds the angels
One of these days Jesus is going to come down and we are going to go out and up!
B. God had a man (10-12).
“Come”
Thank God He says that! He ought to say “Go” but He says “Come!”
“I will send you to Pharaoh” Wait a minute, I left Pharaoh. That ain’t the direction I wanna go!
God says, “You’re out but My people are still there!”
Illustration: Picture of the believer. Called out to go back!
Moses’ reply: Who am I?
Who is he?
A basket case in chapter 2
A murderer
Reject of his own people
Prince who lost everything
Shepherd who doesn’t even have his own sheep
An old man
A nobody
A failure
A quitter
God doesn’t call us because we are worthy. He calls us because He is good.
When Moses asked, “Who am I” He was really saying “I am nobody.”
He was ready!
In Chapter 2 he was convinced he was qualified.
In chapter 3 he was convinced he was not qualified.
How can an unworthy man be used by God?
Look at verse 12.
God says, “I will be with you!”
How can a bush burn but not be consumed?
God is with it!
God could have spoken to Moses through a burning redwood or a burning mountain. He chose a burning bush for a reason.
Small, easy to burn, weak.
God’s promise to be with Moses makes all the difference.
By God’s grace Moses will withstand the fire.
You say:
I can’t make it!
I can’t do it!
You never could!
When God is with you, you can.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me!
God said He would even give Moses a sign.
Moses didn’t ask for one.
What was the sign? Victory.
He and the people of Israel would serve God on the mountain.
The sign wouldn’t come until after the victory.
Moses would look back one day. The freedom of Israel would be proof that God used him.
Maybe that’s what Moses needed. Maybe he doubted himself so much even afterwards he would wonder if God used him.
Some folks will have no idea how much God used them till they get to heaven.
Jesus will say “I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was sick, I was in prison…”
They’ll say “When did I give you a drink, feed You, visit you…”
Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these.
3. Moses is encouraged by God (13-22).
A. Moses worries how the people will receive him (13-17).
He brings up a hypothetical situation.
What if they ask me “What is His name?”
To Jewish people name= character.
Everyone knew the name of God was YHWH.
This is why God doesn’t respond by just saying His covenant name.
Moses wonders what to say if they ask what kind of God He is.
God says to Moses “I AM WHO I AM” tell them “I AM” has sent me to you.
God is saying I will continue to be what I have always been.
I do not change.
I am the God of Abraham. I told Him I would do a work through Him and I will.
He will be what He has been.
He is to the Hebrew slaves In Egypt what he was to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He is to me and you what He was to:
Noah on that Ark
The Hebrew children in that fire
The disciples on that boat
Paul in that prison
God is not the great I was.
Tell the world about a God who does not change!
Moses was to tell this to the elders.
He was to tell them the promises of God.
Look at verse 17. “Tell the elders I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt.”
“And they will listen!” (18)
The promises of God seem strange to many but sweet to some.
Don’t be ashamed to tell the world what God promises.
God has a people. Some will listen. Some will believe.
They’ll need something only God can offer one day. Perhaps they will remember what you said.
B. God warns him that Pharaoh will not listen (19).
Pharaoh has too much to lose.
A reputation.
A free labor force.
An ungodly government will always oppose the message of God. That does not mean we are to be silent.
It’s the Christian’s responsibility to speak to an evil government.
Abortion
Homosexuality
Transgenderism
People are caving in on these issues.
“They won’t listen pastor, we have to compromise.”
It’s our job to warn them not make them listen.
C. God assures Moses that His people will be free (20-22).
Judgment will come first “I will stretch out My hand…”
God can break the back of entire country.
When a nation rebels against the Word of God it should prepare itself for the mighty hand of God.
Look at our own nation.
How violent!
How vile!
God may bring us to our knees.
Notice how God blessed His people.
God says the Egyptians would load them down with gifts as they left the country (22).
In every nation there are two groups of people: blessed/cursed.
When Israel left Egypt that nation was in ruins. The Hebrews marched out:
Free
Blessed
Prosperous
Egypt ruined
The Hebrews redeemed.
It makes me think of a coming day.
Our Deliverer comes to lead us out.
Judgment falls on this world.
Christ calls us up to Himself.
The world lies in ruins
The people of God are redeemed.
We have this promise from Jesus!
Summary:
Has God humbled you?
Salvation
Growth
If God has saved you He has commissioned you. “Go ye therefore…”
There will be times when you are discouraged and want to quit. You’ll doubt. Be encouraged. Trust the promises of Jesus.
Now listen to what I’m about to say:
It’s important to meet your Maker before you meet your maker.
You must be saved before you die.
Are you?